Grundy County Health Department Provides Quarantine Updates
MORRIS –The Grundy County Health Department has received direction from the IL Department of Public Health (IDPH) concerning the CDC change in quarantine timeline. Grundy is adopting this change effective immediately.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued guidance related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) modified quarantine guidance for persons who are close contacts of COVID-19 cases and experience no symptoms: The CDC continues to recommend a quarantine period of 14 days. However, the following options to shorten quarantine are acceptable alternatives:
-Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.
-Quarantine can end after Day 7 if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring. The specimen may be collected and tested within 48 hours before the time of planned quarantine discontinuation (e.g., in anticipation of testing delays), but quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than Day 8. In other words, the earliest they could test would be on Day 6.
Due to the risk of severe illness and congregate transmission, IDPH does not recommend application of the two shortened quarantine options in congregate settings. With both options the following additional criteria through Day 14 must be met:
-Correct and consistent mask use (including within homes)
-Social distancing
-Hand and cough hygiene
-Environmental cleaning and disinfection
-Avoiding crowds
-Ensuring adequate indoor ventilation
-Monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19 illness
-Minimizing contact with persons at increased risk for severe illness, including vulnerable and congregate populations
The Grundy County Health Departments requires self-monitoring to be conducted for the entire 14-day period, resuming quarantine and contacting a healthcare provider if any of the following symptoms present: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
