Lyon County Public Health is adjusting quarantine procedures when it comes to COVID-19.
For months, Public Health had been asking residents who are close contacts to quarantine for 14 days from the time of their exposure to COVID. Now, Public Health is aligning with policy from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in directing close contacts to quarantine for seven days if they have a negative COVID test or 10 days without a test.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says the agency has months of data — especially since the “Test to Learn” quarantine option was developed for county schools — that demonstrates most close contacts who ultimately get COVID do so by the 10th day of their exposure to the virus.
Close contact categories include people within six feet of an infected person for 10 minutes or more, somebody who has been sneezed on or coughed on by an infected person, somebody who has kissed an infected person or somebody who has stayed overnight at an infected person’s home.
Millbern says the new policy is retroactive meaning it applies to individuals who were in the midst of quarantine when it was enacted.
Millbern says the policy change will not affect individuals who are currently in isolation due to a COVID infection.
Public Health recommends people should monitor themselves for symptoms throughout their quarantine period. Asymptomatic close contacts should get either a PCR or antigen test in the first 3-5 days of exposure and again 7-10 days after exposure. Residents that develop systems should notify Public Health and arrange to get tested as soon as possible.
7 DAY QUARANTINE (INCLUDES TESTING AND NO SYMPTOMS)
• After exposure, monitor yourself for symptoms daily for 7 full days.
• If you have no symptoms during this timeframe, on day 7 you may get a PCR test (Antigen and antibody tests are NOT allowed for this purpose. An antigen test may be excepted if the individual is participating in an approved testing program).
• If the test is negative and you remain symptom-free, you can be removed from quarantine on or after Day 8.
• If testing results are pending, you must wait until you receive the results.
• Continue to monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days from exposure and if symptoms develop, contact Public Health and arrange to get tested.
• Public Health also recommends wearing a mask in public for 14 days from exposure.
10 DAY QUARANTINE (NO TESTING AND NO SYMPTOMS)
• After exposure, monitor yourself for symptoms daily for 10 full days.
• If you have no symptoms during the 10 days, you can be released from quarantine without a test on Day 11.
• Continue to monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days from exposure and if symptoms develop, notify Public Health and arrange to get tested.
• Public Health also recommends wearing a mask in public for 14 days from exposure.
