The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the required quarantine time after traveling to a new destination from 14 days to about a week.
“If people do decide to travel, then CDC does recommend that travelers consider getting tested… one to three days before their trip, and again… after their trip at three to five days with reducing non-essential activities for a full seven days after travel, even if their test is negative,” said Dr. Cindy Friedman, the chief of The Travelers' Health Branch at the CDC.
The agency still recommends that people quarantine for 14 days after arriving at their destination, but modified that guidance to allow people to remain isolated for 10 and as few as seven days. The quarantine period can end after seven days if the person has not experienced symptoms and can prove they have tested negative. After 10 days, the person can leave quarantine if they have not experienced any symptoms even without proof of a negative test.
The latest update from the CDC comes just as the winter holiday season gets underway, with public health experts worrying that the high volume of travel could lead to another devastating surge in new cases and hospitalizations.
