THE CDC is set to slash the quarantine period in HALF from two weeks to seven days if you’ve been exposed to coronavirus but test negative.
A senior administration official first revealed the news to the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The agency is was expected to reveal the slashed coronavirus quarantine as early as Tuesday.
As of early Wednesday the guidance had not yet changed on the CDC site.
Under new guidelines, if a person comes into contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, or has suspected exposure, they will be allowed to resume normal activities in just seven days if they have a negative test result, the AP reports.
Without a negative test result, a person with suspected Covid-19 exposure will be allowed to exit quarantine after 10 days.
The new quarantine timelines are a dramatic reduction from the strict 14-day quarantine period set since the virus began to ravage the US.
According to the official, the CDC has been touting the guideline change for sometime as experts learn more about the virus and its incubation period.
Most individuals become infectious and will show symptoms between four to five days after being exposed.
The reported quarantine requirement change was revealed the same day that a panel of experts gave the CDC recommendations on who should get a Covid-19 vaccine first once it’s available.
Health experts and those in long-term care facilities – a total of around 23million people – were recommended by the panel of health experts to get the jab first.
Giving healthcare workers first access to the shot would allow them to continue caring for patients as Covid-19 cases continue to climb.
As of early Wednesday morning, coronavirus cases in the US continued to grow past 13.7million.
More than 270,000 Americans have died from the virus.
Vaccine priority recommendations come as two companies – Pfizer and Moderna – have both applied for emergency use authorization for their respective vaccines.
Pfizer is set to have a hearing on December 10, while Moderna will have an FDA hearing on the 17.
If given the green light, companies may be able to roll out vaccines within days of the public hearings.
