Los Angeles County health authorities have relaxed quarantine rules for asymptomatic people who are exposed to the coronavirus.
The updated quarantine order, which went into effect Friday, removes the quarantine requirement for members of the general public who come in close contact with an infected person and don’t have COVID-19 symptoms.
The new rules come after the California Department of Public Health earlier this month updated its own quarantine guidelines, eliminating the requirement for asymptomatic people.
L.A. County is aligning with the state in easing requirements, but with a few exceptions.
County residents who know they were exposed to the virus no longer have to quarantine, even if they haven’t been vaccinated. But they are required to mask up indoors for 10 days and get tested as soon as possible after being exposed.
If they later test positive, they’ll have to then isolate themselves so as to not expose more people to the virus.
However, the rules are different for residents who live in high-risk settings like health care facilities, shelters, jails, and assisted living homes, L.A. County Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people in those settings will still have to quarantine for a minimum of five days and test negative to be able to exit quarantine.
Unvaccinated staff in those settings will also have to exclude themselves from work for at least five days after being exposed.
The new quarantine order also changes the definition of what a “close contact” is. Now, it means anyone sharing the same indoor space — like a home, clinic waiting room, airplane or classroom — for a total of 15 minutes with an infected person.
Previously, health officials defined it based on whether the person was within 6-foot distance.
“It didn’t really acknowledge the emerging science that this virus is airborne,” Ferrer said of the previous definition.