CDC lifts 14-day quarantine guidelines for those traveling within the country and abroad

Since March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that travelers self-isolate for 14 days after all international travel and after domestic travel to states with high incidence of coronavirus.

The CDC has now removed the two-week quarantine order from its travel guide. Instead, there are recommendations to self-isolate after traveling to certain countries.

In an email, CDC spokesman Scott Pauley told The Washington Post, “This updated guide is based on travel risk and encourages travelers to think about what they've done, where they've been and who they've contacted to assess their risk of COVID-19. «.

The updated CDC guidelines state that all travelers, upon returning home, should distance themselves, wear a cloth mask, wash their hands frequently and watch for possible symptoms.

CDC guidelines continue to note that traveling and being in crowded places increases the likelihood of contracting the virus and that asymptomatic carriers can spread the disease. But the CDC quarantine rules now define those who should be quarantined for two weeks as “people who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, with the exception of people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the past three months. «.

Doctors believe quarantines may still be effective after traveling to areas with high coronavirus incidence.

“In general terms, if someone goes to an area where there is an outbreak of the virus, upon return, it is prudent to either require them to be tested or to quarantine. Such measures are now being taken in many states. — Sandro Galea, an epidemiologist at Boston University, told The Washington Post — “We are all constantly trying to adapt to changing realities and facts, but we need to distance ourselves, use disinfectants and wear a mask regardless of whether we traveled or not.»

The states that selectively impose a two-week quarantine on arrivals include Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.

“Do not travel if you are sick or have been with someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Do not travel with a sick person. — says the CDC manual. — Traveling increases your chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19. Staying at home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. ”

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