Advocacy News – December 3, 2020<\/b><\/p>\n
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday announced alternatives to its two-week recommended quarantine for people who have been exposed to COVID-19.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0revised guidelines<\/a>\u00a0specify that, while the CDC currently\u00a0recommends a quarantine period of 14 days, they are now offering \u201ctwo additional options for how long quarantine should last.\u201d<\/p>\n The guidelines specify, based on local availability of viral testing, for people\u00a0without symptoms<\/i>\u00a0quarantine can end:<\/p>\n After stopping quarantine, people should:<\/p>\n CDC continues to specify that a 13-day quarantine remains the best way to prevent spread but recognizes that any quarantine shorter than 14 days balances reduced burden against a small possibility of spreading the virus.\u00a0\u00a0 The CDC is cautioning that people\u00a0should continue to monitor for symptoms for the full 14 days after being exposed to the virus, especially if quarantine is discontinued early.<\/p>\n MIOSHA\u2019s COVID-19\u00a0Emergency Rules<\/b><\/a>\u00a0refer directly to CDC recommendations:\u00a0 \u201cThe employer shall allow employees with a known or suspected case of COVID-19 to return to the workplace only after they are no longer infectious according to the latest guidelines from the CDC and they are released from any quarantine or isolation order by the local public health department.\u201d<\/p>\n However,\u00a0legislation<\/a> passed earlier this year, which codified the Executive Order on the topic, prohibits an employee from reporting to work if they test positive, have symptoms of COVID-19, or have come in close contact with someone with COVID-19.\u00a0 Furthermore, the legislation protects the employee from retaliation for choosing to stay home.\u00a0 The legislation refers to the now outdated 14-day period. The Chamber is working to amend the law to reflect the new CDC guidelines, among other things.<\/p>\n Additional details explaining the scientific rationale for the CDC changes can be found\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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