COVID Updates

 UPDATED COVID-19 Isolation Guidance per California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
Release date: January 9th, 2024. See the CDPH website and full guidelines here. 

Recommendations for people who test positive:

1. Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, until you have not had a fever for 24
hours without using fever reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms are mild
and improving. Mandatory 5 days of isolation has been removed!
○ If you do not have symptoms, you should follow the recommendations below to
reduce exposure to others. Asymptomatic, covid + students and staff may attend
work/school while masked as soon as the first day they test positive.

2. Mask when you are around other people indoors for the 10 days* after you become sick
or test positive (if no symptoms). You may remove your mask sooner than 10 days if you
have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. Day 0 is symptom onset date
or positive test date.

3. Avoid contact with people at higher-risk for severe COVID-19 for 10 days*.
Higher-risk individuals include the elderly, those who live in congregate care facilities,
those who have immunocompromising conditions, and that put them at higher risk for
serious illness.

4. Seek Treatment. If you have symptoms, particularly if you are at higher risk for severe
COVID-19, speak with a healthcare provider as soon as you test positive. You may be
eligible for antiviral medicines or other treatments for COVID-19. COVID-19 antiviral
medicines work best if taken as soon as possible, and within 5-7 days from when
symptoms start.

*The potential infectious period is 2 days before the date of symptoms began or the
positive test date (if no symptoms) through Day 10. (Day 0 is the symptom onset date or
positive test date).

Recommendation for close contacts of positive cases:

● If you have new COVID-19 symptoms, you should test and mask right away.
● If you do not have symptoms, and are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection and
would benefit from treatment, you should test within 5 days.
● If you do not have symptoms and have contact with people who are at higher risk for
severe infection, you should mask indoors when around such people for 10 days.

Consider testing within 5 days after the last exposure date (Day 0) and before contact
with higher-risk people.

Links to updated guidance from CDPH and CalOSHA:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19-Isolation-Guidance.
aspx
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/Non_Emergency_Regulations/