New CDC guidance says COVID-19 quarantine can end earlier for some people

WATERLOO — New guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allows some people to end quarantine earlier than previously recommended.

People who do not have symptoms after being exposed to COVID-19 can end quarantine after 10 days. People who tested negative for COVID-19 five days after their last exposure and do not have symptoms can end quarantine after seven days. The Black Hawk County Health Department said Thursday that a 14-day quarantine period remains the “most effective option” to prevent spreading the virus.

“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,” the CDC website said.

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