Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake’s Statement on CDC Recommendations to Shorten Isolation and Quarantine Periods
“The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) supports Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations(link is external) to shorten isolation and quarantine periods for the general public, given what we know right now about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. Science shows that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission happens early in the illness, so CDC has shortened the recommended length of isolation from 10 days to five days for people with COVID-19 who do not have any COVID-19 symptoms, followed by five days of wearing a well-fitting mask(link is external) to minimize the risk of infecting others.
Following an exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should get tested on day five after exposure, and if symptoms occur, quarantine immediately until a negative test confirms those symptoms are not due to COVID-19. Increased testing will help us identify any cases of Omicron quickly so that we can learn more about this latest variant and get an accurate picture of disease activity in our state.
We urge all Wisconsinites to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our state by getting vaccinated, getting boosted, continuing to wear masks in indoor public settings, and staying home when sick. This will help us all safely continue with our daily lives.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- MHD Release: Milwaukee Health Department Launches COVID-19 Wastewater Testing Dashboard - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jan 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee County Announces New Policies Related to COVID-19 Pandemic - County Executive David Crowley - May 9th, 2023
- DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 26th, 2023
- Milwaukee Health Department Announces Upcoming Changes to COVID-19 Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 17th, 2023
- Fitzgerald Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Origin Act - U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 10th, 2023
- DHS Expands Free COVID-19 Testing Program - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 10th, 2023
- MKE County: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising - Graham Kilmer - Jan 16th, 2023
- Not Enough Getting Bivalent Booster Shots, State Health Officials Warn - Gaby Vinick - Dec 26th, 2022
- Nearly All Wisconsinites Age 6 Months and Older Now Eligible for Updated COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 15th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Bi-Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Dec 9th, 2022
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
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