Mendocino County Public Health Releases New COVID-19 Isolation and Testing Guidelines

The following is a press release issued by Mendocino County Public Health:

As the COVID-19 Pandemic changes, CDC and CDPH have re-evaluated the current situation and  have released new practical recommendations to keep our community healthy. These do NOT  apply to Healthcare Workers (who continue to be covered by AFL 21-08.9) and employers/employees should continue to comply with Cal-OSHA in workplaces.  

While COVID-19 continues to be circulating and can be deadly for some, there is more immunity in our communities from past COVID infections and vaccinations. The currently circulating dominant variants continue to be susceptible to the newest vaccines and treatments. Even with the concurrent Influenza and RSV yearly epidemics, the risk to our communities is under better control. Therefore, recommendations now focus on prevention  (vaccination and hygiene), early treatment, limiting exposure to the most vulnerable due to age and other medical conditions, and basing duration of interventions more on symptoms — minimizing disruption of most activities in our community.  

CDPH has released these recommendations to maximize the effectiveness of our interventions:

For prevention: 

• Stay up to date with the most current vaccines. 
• Stay home if you are sick. 
• Cover your coughs. 
• Wash your hands. 
• High risk* people should consider wearing a high-quality mask in indoor and public places.  
• If you have new symptoms test for COVID (and Influenza) and if your test shows you do have COVID or Influenza, get the highly effective treatment. 

If you have new Covid symptoms: 

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• Stay home. 
• Test right away. 
• Mask.  
• Treat, if needed.  
• If you test Negative, re-test in 1-2 days with a rapid test or a PCR/NAAT test.

If you test positive (even without symptoms) OR your provider has made a clinical diagnosis  for SARS COVID 2: 

• Stay home until you have not had fever for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication) and your symptoms are mild and improving. 
• Avoid contact with high risk* people for ten (10) days. 
• If you are high risk*, seek highly effective treatment within five (5) to seven (7) days. If you cannot consult a provider, use the State contractor for free at 1-833-422-4255. • Mask when you are around others for ten (10) days after you test is positive OR when symptoms start.  
  • You may end this sooner if you have not had fever for 24 hours (without fever reducing medication), and your symptoms are mild and improving AND after two  (2) negative tests one day apart. 

If you have had a close contact** with COVID or Influenza and have NO new symptoms but you  OR your contacts are at high risk*, you may benefit from treatment, so 

• mask indoors for ten (10) days while around high risk* people and  
• test within five (5) days of your last exposure and treat if needed OR, if negative, repeat in two (2) days. 
  • To avoid false positive tests:  
    • People who’ve had a COVID infection in the last 30 days do NOT need to test. 
    • People who’ve had a COVID infection between 30-90 days, should test with a “rapid” test (not a PCR or NAAT test). 
    • Wear your mask for the full ten (10) days. 

If your symptoms continue for weeks or months, consult with your provider or visit the  https://covid19.ca.gov/long-covid/ site to see what resources may help if you have “Long  COVID.” 

*High risk people include the elderly or immune compromised and those who live in  congregate care facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, or correctional facilities. 

**Close contact is over fifteen 15 minutes (total over 24 hours) inside a space smaller than  400,000 cu feet (i.e., homes, clinic waiting rooms, airplanes, etc.) OR within 6 feet for 15  minutes over 24 hours in a larger space.  

“Infectious Period” is now defined as from the first day of symptoms or positive test until you have not had a fever for 24 hours, without the use of fever-lowering meds and symptoms are mild and improving. (The old definition, starting two days before symptoms or positive test,  was for the purpose of contact tracing and is no longer needed.)

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