Quarantine & Isolation Instructions

General Public

CDPH Guidance for Local Health Jurisdictions on Isolation and Quarantine of the General Public. Please note that California Residents need to follow the CDPH issued additional guidance from that of the updated CDC isolation and quarantine recommendations

Healthcare Personnel

Due to the critical staffing shortages currently being experienced across the health care continuum because of the rise in the Omicron variant, effective January 8, 2022 through February 1, 2022, CDPH is temporarily adjusting the return-to-work criteria.

Workplace Settings: Need to follow Cal/OSHA requirements pertaining to this new Isolation and Quarantine Guidance from CDPH

In the workplace, employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) or in some workplaces the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard (PDF), and should consult those regulations for additional applicable requirements.

Schools

For quarantine considerations in K-12 school settings, see CDPH K-12 Schools Guidance and CDPH K-12 testing strategies.

Isolation and Quarantine Recommendations for the General Public (not applicable to healthcare personnel or Schools) - January 14, 2022

Persons Who Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolation) Recommended Action
Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection or lack of symptoms.
  • Stay home (PDF) for at least 5 days.
  • Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving and a diagnostic specimen* collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
  • If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end after day 10.
  • If fever is present, isolation should be continued until fever resolves.
  • If symptoms, other than fever, are not resolving continue to isolate until symptoms are resolving or until after day 10.
  • Wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings (see Section below on masking for additional information)

*Antigen test preferred.


Persons Who are Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (Quarantine)
Recommended Action
  • Unvaccinated; OR 
  • Vaccinated and booster-eligible but have not yet received their booster dose.**

(Refer to CDC COVID-19 Booster Shots to determine who is booster eligible)

 

  • Stay home (PDF) for at least 5 days, after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
  • Test on day 5.
  • Quarantine can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present and a diagnostic specimen collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
  • If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present, quarantine can end after day 10.
  • Wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings (see Section below on masking for additional information).
  • Strongly encouraged to get vaccinated or boosted.
  • If testing positive, follow isolation recommendations above.
  • If symptoms develop, test and stay home.

** Workplace Setting (not applicable to healthcare personnel):

In a workplace setting, asymptomatic employees in this category are not required to stay home from work if:

  • A negative diagnostic test is obtained within 3-5 days after last exposure to a case
  • Employee wears a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days
  • Employee continues to have no symptoms.
Persons Who are Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (No Quarantine) Recommended Action
  • Boosted; OR
  • Vaccinated, but not yet booster-eligible.

(Refer to CDC COVID-19 Booster Shots to determine who is booster-eligible)

  • Test on day 5. 
  • Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days, especially in indoor settings (see Section below on masking for additional information)
  • If testing positive, follow isolation recommendations above.
  • If symptoms develop, test and stay home.