CDC Ditches Five-Day Isolation for COVID

Author: Michael Cardman, HR & Compliance Center Senior Legal Editor

March 4, 2024

Thanks to widespread immunity and improved tools for prevention and treatment, the coronavirus (COVID-19) can now be treated like other common respiratory viral illnesses such as the flu and RSV, according to new guidance released March 1 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Most notably, individuals who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to isolate immediately and stay home for at least five days under the new guidance. Instead, the CDC now recommends that individuals stay home and away from others based on whether and when they have a fever and/or other symptoms if they contract the coronavirus or another respiratory illness.

"Importantly, states and countries that have already adjusted recommended isolation times have not seen increased hospitalizations or deaths related to COVID-19," the CDC said in a statement.

Employers may wish to modify their workplace infectious disease policies as a result of the new guidance.

Regardless of the CDC's new guidance, employers should continue to comply with state and local leave laws, accommodation considerations and state policy requirements (including California's COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations) when employees test positive for the coronavirus.

The CDC noted that its new guidance applies only to community settings and not healthcare settings.