The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced updated COVID-19 quarantine guidelines. Notably, CDC announced two quarantine options for those who had close contact with someone who has COVID-19. The quarantine period may end: (a) on day 10 if no COVID-19 test was conducted and the individual does not have any symptoms or additional COVID-19 contacts; or (b) 7 days after receiving a negative COVID-19 test result if the individual does not have any symptoms or additional COVID-19 contacts.
However, CDC advises that “[l]ocal public health authorities make the final decisions about how long quarantine should last in the communities they serve, based on local conditions and needs. Follow the recommendations of your local public health department if you need to quarantine.”
Despite issuing these updated guidelines, “CDC continues to endorse quarantine for 14 days and recognizes that any quarantine shorter than 14 days balances reduced burden against a small possibility of spreading the virus.”
Employers should take note of this CDC quarantine announcement and consider whether to elect to implement the reduced quarantine options announced by the CDC or to continue to require the more conservative 14-day quarantine period (as endorsed by the CDC). The employer should then ensure their COVID-19 workplace policies reflect the relevant quarantine period.
PartnerMichael Shadiack is the Chair of Connell Foley LLP’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Representing a broad spectrum of employers and management personnel in the private and public sectors, he provides litigation defense and ...
PartnerMarianne Tolomeo, a partner in Connell Foley LLP’s Labor and Employment Group, practices primarily in the areas of employment law and commercial litigation.
For more than two decades, Marianne has represented clients ranging ...