Updated COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance

Source: Public Health Department

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has updated its COVID-19 isolation and quarantine guidance to align with new guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). This guidance does not apply to health care personnel. Changes of note include:

Updated isolation and quarantine recommendations for the general public are now in alignment with timeframe recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additional mitigation measures, including testing to exit isolation and quarantine and improved masking are included.
Clarification that fully-vaccinated persons who are booster-eligible, but have not yet received their booster dose are now recommended to quarantine.

Persons Who Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolation)

Recommended Action

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection or lack of symptoms.

Stay home for at least 5 days.
Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving and a diagnostic specimen* collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end after day 10.
If fever is present, isolation should be continued until fever resolves.
If symptoms, other than fever, are not resolving continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after day 10.
Wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings (see Section below on masking for additional information)

*Antigen test preferred.

Persons Who are Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (Quarantine)

Recommended Action

Unvaccinated**; OR
Vaccinated and booster-eligible** but have not yet received their booster dose.

**Includes persons previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, including within the last 90 days.

(See Appendix for definition of booster-eligible)

Stay home for at least 5 days, after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
Test on day 5.
Quarantine can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present and a diagnostic specimen collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present, quarantine can end after day 10.
Wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings (see Section below on masking for additional information)
If testing positive, follow isolation recommendations above.
If symptoms develop, test and stay home.

Persons Who are Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (No Quarantine)

Recommended Action

Boosted; OR
Vaccinated, but not yet booster-eligible.

(See Appendix for definition of booster-eligible)

Test on day 5.
Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days, especially in indoor settings (see Section below on masking for additional information)
If testing positive, follow isolation recommendations above.
If symptoms develop, test and stay home.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19: 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.

More details regarding this isolation and quarantine guidance can be found here. Community members are urged to follow these recommendations as closely as possible. For information about COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and other prevention measures, please visit https://publichealthsbc.org.