CDC Cuts COVID Quarantine Time to Five Days
ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut its recommended quarantine time for people who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 days to just five on Monday, so long as the infected individual is asymptomatic.
The new guidance comes as the easily transmissible omicron variant is surging in some communities and causing widespread labor shortage like those experienced by the major airlines this past weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, about 2,300 U.S. flights were grounded due to omicron-related flight crew shortages, according to FlightAware, which tracks aviation related data.
An additional 1,000 U.S. flights were canceled on Monday.
By reducing the quarantine time after a positive COVID test, the CDC is hoping to strike a scientifically sound balance between the surge in cases and allowing people to get back to work and on with their lives, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the agency.
“The omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society,” Walensky told reporters Monday afternoon.
The new recommendations, she said, “balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses. These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives.”
Several states and territories are already reporting higher caseloads than they’ve seen the entire pandemic. These include Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico.
On Monday, President Joe Biden sought to reassure a virtual bipartisan gathering of governors that the White House has “got their backs” as they deal with the public health crisis.
As for the airlines, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, suggested during an MSNBC interview on Monday that it may be time for a vaccination requirement for air travel.
“When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated,” said Fauci. “If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered.”
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