Isolation & Quarantine Update

On January 3, 2022, the Tuolumne County Public Health Office issued new quarantine guidance for individuals to test out of isolation or quarantine to shorten the time period in isolation and quarantine. The full order can be found in the Article Resources, along with an updated Isolation and Quarantine Flowchart for Indoor Classroom Settings.

All persons residing in the County of Tuolumne and who test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 shall:

• Isolate themselves for a minimum of five days after onset of symptoms or a positive test result, whichever is earlier.
  • A person may be released from isolation on the sixth day after onset of symptoms or a positive test result, if the person has improving symptoms, does not have a fever and has a negative test result obtained on the fifth day (the antigen test is preferred, but PCR is acceptable).
  • If person has improving symptoms and is fever free, but has a positive test result, then isolation continues and they may continue daily testing until a negative test result is obtained or ten days have elapsed since onset of symptoms or a positive test result.
• If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end after ten days from the onset of symptoms or a positive test result.
• This isolation period may be extended until the person has improving symptoms and is fever free.
• Follow additional guidance provided by CDPH at: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Guidance-on-Isolation-and-Quarantine-for-COVID-19-Contact-Tracing.aspx

All close contacts of anyone isolated under this order will be placed into a 5-day quarantine with the following exceptions:

• Boosted or vaccinated, but not yet booster-eligible (see definitions below) persons with no COVID-like symptoms do not need to quarantine. They shall wear a well-fitting mask while around others, especially while indoors. They should test on the fifth day after their last exposure.
• Boosted or vaccinated, but not yet booster-eligible people who do not quarantine should still monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 following an exposure.
• If boosted or vaccinated, but not yet booster-eligible people experience symptoms, they should isolate themselves from others, be clinically evaluated for COVID-19, including SARS-CoV-2 testing, if indicated, and inform their health care provider of their vaccination status at the time of presentation to care.
• An unvaccinated person or booster-eligible person may test on the fifth day after their exposure. If that test is negative, the person may be released from quarantine on the sixth day after their exposure. That person shall wear a well-fitting mask. That person should continue to monitor for symptoms after their exposure.
• An unvaccinated or booster-eligible student in the K-12 school setting can do modified quarantine. Modified quarantine is permitted when an exposure occurs in the school setting where both the case and the contact are wearing face masks. During modified quarantine, student may attend scheduled classes, co-curricular events, and participate in extracurricular, but may not attend extracurricular or community events, and must otherwise be at home. In addition to the test on the fifth day, the student should test on the first day of quarantine. Quarantine is otherwise as above and requires wear of a well-fitting mask.

For the purpose of this order:

• People are considered boosted if they have completed the original series of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and received an additional dose of any approved vaccine.
• People are considered vaccinated, but not yet booster-eligible if they have completed the original series of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) within the previous six months or a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine within the previous two months.
• People are considered booster eligible if they have completed the original series of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) more than six months previously or a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson more than two months previously.
• Isolation is defined as “separation of sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.”
• Quarantine is defined as “separation and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.”
• Close contact is defined as “anyone who has been within six feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or longer within a 24-hour period of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.” The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) may recommend further guidance.