On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated its COVID-19 quarantine options by suggesting quarantine periods shorter than 14-days. This is because a 14-day quarantine can impose personal burdens that may affect physical and mental health as well as cause economic hardship that may reduce compliance. Therefore, based on local circumstances and resources, the CDC offers the following options as acceptable alternatives to shorten quarantine:
Quarantine can end after ten days without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.
When diagnostic testing resources are sufficient and available, then quarantine can end after seven days if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring. The specimen may be collected and tested 48 hours before ending quarantine (for instance, in anticipation of testing delays) but quarantine cannot end earlier than after seven days.
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