Southwest Public Health District adopts new COVID-19 guidelines
ALBANY, Ga. – With over 100 new cases per 100,000 residents in the last 2 week period, a mask ordinance is now in effect in Dougherty County. This, as CDC guidelines have been updated to actually reduce the time to quarantine after being exposed to the novel virus. Before the updated guideline, the CDC recommended quarantining for 14 days.
“The CDC has provided new guidance that allows us to shorten that period to ten days, from 14 days down to 10 days,” said Dr. Charles Ruis during Dougherty County’s COVID-19 task force meeting.
While 14 days is still the safest recommendation, there are circumstances that allow someone to be released from quarantine earlier.
“For a person to come out of quarantine after 10 days they have to be asymptomatic throughout the entire 10 day period and for the following four days they should wear a mask, they should self monitor for the development of symptoms.”
Moving forward The Department of Public Health will now place people on a 10 day quarantine.
The CDC has also provided a pathway to further reduce quarantine time to just seven days. However, as of this time, The Southwest Health District has yet to adopt this measure.
“The reason why we have not yet adopted that part of the new guidance in our health district is that we’re waiting on a firm decision on what kind of test will be required.”
No changes have been made on the period of isolation, that remains at 10 days. And as cases begin to once again surge in Dougherty County and surrounding areas it is important that everyone does their part and monitors their symptoms.
