“CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from ten days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others,” the agency said in a statement on Monday. “[P]eople who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.”
The agency said it has also changed its recommendation regarding people who were either not vaccinated or have not yet received a third "booster" dose but were exposed to the virus. In this case, the CDC said it also advises to quarantine for five days and strictly use a mask for additional five days, the statement said.
As an alternative, those exposed can choose to wear a mask for ten days if a five-day quarantine is not feasible, the statement also said.
The new recommendations are in line with the latest scientific data on the COVID-19, which show that the majority of viral transmission takes place in the first 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and no later than 2-3 days after, the statement added.
The latest seven-day average of the number of cases has increased to nearly 176,000 cases per day amid the growing prevalence of the Omicron variant, according to CDC data.
Officials want to be careful about not having too many individuals out of work, particularly essential workers, Presidential Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci said on Monday.
"The CDC decision to halve the isolation period was a “very prudent and good choice,” Fauci said, adding that they spent a considerable amount of time discussing the matter.