**UPDATED - 1/6/2022**
How long should a person stay out of work with COVID?
Given what is currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, as of December 27th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.
Employee Tests Positive (Regardless of Vaccination Status)
Ending isolation for people who had COVID-19 and had symptoms
- If you had COVID-19 and had symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days. To calculate your 5-day isolation period, day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed. You can leave isolation after 5 full days.
- You can end isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved
- Continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public for 5 additional days (day 6 through day 10) after the end of your 5-day isolation period.
- Continue to stay home until your fever resolves.
Ending isolation for people who tested positive for COVID-19 but had no symptoms
- If you test positive for COVID-19 and never develop symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days. Day 0 is the day of your positive viral test (based on the date you were tested) and day 1 is the first full day after the specimen was collected for your positive test. You can leave isolation after 5 full days.
- Continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public for 5 additional days (day 6 through day 10) after the end of your 5-day isolation period.
- If you develop symptoms after testing positive, your 5-day isolation period should start over.
Testing
If an individual who has COVID and has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation).
- If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10.
- If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10. Follow additional recommendations for masking and restricting travel as described above.
Close Contact or Household Exposure
For people who are unvaccinated or who are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine), and not yet boosted, CDC recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure.
Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
Return to work
An employer can require a return to work note consistent with their policy (and pursuant to the Family Medical Leave Act, if applicable), for those who have tested positive for COVID. The CDC has stopped short of saying that people should get a rapid test before going back to work or resuming social activities. However, a negative test result can be required for those who were exposed but didn’t test positive.
Paying Employees
Employees with COVID, or quarantining due to exposure, can use their NJ Earned Sick time. If other company provided PTO is available, that can be applied consistent with company policy. Those who experience severe symptoms may be eligible for Temporary Disability Benefits provided their doctor certifies. Likewise, those needing to care for a family member with COVID may be eligible for Family Leave Insurance.