SUMMARY
This document provides updated guidance on quarantine for community persons exposed to COVID-19, and how to factor in a person’s vaccination status. This guidance does not apply to vaccinated inpatients and residents in health care settings.
•This guidance aligns the requirements for release from quarantine with the February 10, 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.
QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPOSED TO COVID-1
Consistent with recent CDC guidance, asymptomatic individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to quarantine during the first 3 months after full vaccination, if the following criteria are met:
- Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-doseseries, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine); AND
- Are within 3 months following receipt of the last dose in the series; AND
- Have remained asymptomatic since last COVID-19 exposure.
Individuals who do not meet all 3 of the above criteria and who have been exposed to someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are required to quarantine for 14 days after exposure, or ten days if they meet the criteria for a reduced quarantine. Consistent with previous CDC guidance, there is no testing requirement to end the quarantine if no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period. However, a test should be sought immediately if any symptoms develop during the fourteen days after exposure.
Consistent with CDC guidance from February 13, 2021, asymptomatic individuals who have previously been diagnosed with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 and have since recovered, are not required to retest and quarantine within3 months after the date of symptom onset from the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection or date of first positive diagnostic test if asymptomatic during illness.
While COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated high efficacy at preventing severe and symptomatic COVID-19, there is currently limited information on how much the vaccines might reduce transmission, how long protection lasts, and the efficacy of vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, some individuals who were previously infected with COVID-19 have been reinfected at a later time. Therefore, regardless of quarantine status, all individuals exposed to COVID-19 must:
- Continue daily symptom monitoring through Day 14;
- Continue strict adherence to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene and the use of face coverings, through Day 14 (even if fully vaccinated);
- Immediately self-isolate if any symptoms develop and contact the local public health authority or their health care provider to report this change in clinical status and determine if they should seek testing.
TRAVEL AND QUARANTINE
Domestic travelers arriving in New York from non-contiguous US states and territories who are not essential workers and/or who did not complete the testing requirements described in Executive Order 205.2 must quarantine. Asymptomatic domestic travelers to New York can be exempted from quarantine if meet the criteria described previously in this document.
International travelers arriving in New York must comply with all CDC requirements for testing and quarantined after international travel. This requirement applies to all international travelers whether they were tested before boarding, are recovered from a previous COVID infection, or are fully vaccinated.
Consult the latest NYS travel advisory for more information. Guidance on how to quarantine can be found here.
LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND QUARANTINE ORDERS
Local Health Departments (LHDs) will continue to identify individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19. Contact tracing interviews will now include questions about vaccination status and dates. Contact tracers may validate reports of vaccination status in NYSIIS or CIR, the statewide immunization registry, during the interview. Individuals who meet the vaccination criteria listed above do not need to quarantine. Information about the criteria for quarantine exemptions due to immunization status will be included in local quarantine orders from this point forward.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This guidance applies only to asymptomatic individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 and who have not tested positive as a result of a recent exposure. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate. Information on the criteria and duration for isolation can be found here.
Tags: Coronavirus, COVID-19, New York State