In response to new guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), the Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) has updated quarantine guidance for close contacts of someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
The updated guidance goes into effect on Monday, December 7, across the state. A 14-day quarantine is still the safest option, with this new guidance taking into account emerging scientific evidence on quarantine periods. LCHD will follow a 14 day quarantine, but is subject to change if the following occurs: 1. Close contact tests positive for COVID-19. (LCHD will call with a new release date.) 2. Close contact does not develop symptoms, can end their quarantine: a. After completing day 10 of quarantine without testing. b. After completing day 7 of quarantine and receiving a negative test result (molecular or antigen) that was collected within 48 hours of the end of quarantine. Individuals must continue to monitor symptoms for the full 14 days.
If symptoms develop following the end of quarantine, individuals are advised to immediately isolate, contact their health care provider, and get tested. Symptoms are not necessarily shortness of breath and fever right away, so watch for more mild symptoms such as headache, nausea, and sore throat. If you are experiencing symptoms contact your clinic to get tested. A list of local testing sites can be found on our website at https://bit.ly/33Q7ugX . Quarantine orders that have been set prior to Monday, December 7, will remain the full 14 days and will not be changed. It is important to note that some worksites, organizations, or schools might have stricter policies than the new DHS guidelines. WI DHS has developed interactive dashboards for the public to track local disease and regional hospital capacity. We encourage the public to check out these resources at https://bit.ly/36lpv8R.
LCHD will continue to update our Facebook page Monday – Friday, with current COVID-19 case counts. This is a rapidly evolving situation. For the latest information about COVID-19 in Lincoln County visit: https://co.lincoln.wi.us/covid19 or follow us on Facebook. You can also visit the CDC’s website or the DHS website.