Vaccinated don’t need to quarantine after COVID-19 exposure

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – As of Thursday, over 70,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Montgomery County, and new health guidance says those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to quarantine after exposure to the virus.

That includes local schools, where students 16 and older who are fully vaccinated are now free from standard quarantine rules.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers someone fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

New rules

So you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Now what?

The CDC released new guidance that states fully vaccinated individuals that have been around someone who has COVID-19 no longer need to quarantine for 10 days or get tested unless they have symptoms.

Fully vaccinated individuals can now visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with other fully vaccinated people of any age.

Those who are two weeks out from their last vaccine dose in the series can also visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with one household of unvaccinated people who are not at risk for severe illness. Most domestic travel restrictions have been lifted, but masks will still be required on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation.

International travel restrictions vary from country to country, but travelers returning to the U.S. will require a negative COVID-19 test within three days of arrival.

Additionally, folks who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last three months also no longer have to quarantine after exposure as long as they have recovered and remain without symptoms.

Exceptions

While fully vaccinated individuals might not need to quarantine or get tested unless they have symptoms, there are a handful of exceptions to this rule.

The first exception is for those who work in healthcare settings. The CDC has published a different set of rules for healthcare workers and those visiting facilities, and suggests that COVID-19 testing protocols remain in place.

Those living in a group setting, such as a correctional or detention facility or group home, who have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19 should still quarantine for 14 days and get tested, even if symptoms are not present.

This rule does not include dormitories or university housing.

For those who are unvaccinated and have been exposed to COVID-19, the Tennessee Department of Health has released acceptable alternatives to the CDC’s suggested 14-day quarantine.

Those who have been exposed can return to regular activities 10 days after exposure to someone with COVID-19 after Day 10 (returning to regular activities on Day 11) without testing if the contact does not have symptoms.

Those who tested negative for COVID-19 five days after the exposure can return to regular activities after seven days have passed as long as no symptoms are present.

Local schools

The new quarantine rules are also true for students 16 and older at Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, who are now also eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Friday, the school system sent out a note to parents via email with an update on their contract tracing policy:

Students who are fully vaccinated for the coronavirus and do not have COVID-like symptoms will not have to be excluded from school for being a close contact to a positive. Parents and guardians may voluntarily submit proof of vaccination to their student’s school nurse. Submitting proof of vaccination for the coronavirus is not required. However, if the proof of vaccination is not in the student’s school medical record, the student will be subject to exclusion from school if found to be a close contact to a positive during contact tracing.

Despite the new guidance, the CDC advises that individuals should continue to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following exposure. If symptoms develop, they should isolate and be evaluated for COVID-19 illness.

The CDC expects that quarantine recommendations for vaccinated persons will be updated when more data become available and additional COVID-19 vaccines are authorized.