Brazos County shortens quarantine guidelines for residents with COVID-19 exposure

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - The Brazos County Health District has revised its quarantine guidance for residents who have been exposed to COVID-19.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local jurisdictions can choose to shorten quarantine recommendations if they have “testing resources [that] are sufficient and available.”

While the CDC continues to endorse a 14-day quarantine after exposure, the Brazos County Health District will employ the CDC’s alternative guidance, choosing to shorten quarantine guidelines for asymptomatic people to 10 days, or 7 days with a negative test.

The full release from BCHD is below.

December 3, 2020

On 12/2/2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new guidance for public health authorities to determine and establish the quarantine option for their jurisdictions. Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 or identified as a close contact away from others.

CDC currently recommends a quarantine period of 14 days. However, based on local circumstances and resources, the following options to shorten quarantine are acceptable alternatives. The Brazos County Health District will be following the revised guidance.

· Quarantine can end after Day 10 without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.

· When testing resources are sufficient and available, then quarantine can end after Day 7 with a negative test result and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring. Testing should occur 5-7 days after exposure.

In both cases, symptom monitoring, wearing a mask, and social distancing must continue through Day 14.