DHS Announces New Coronavirus Guidance On Quarantine Duration

MADISON, WI— In response to new guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health Services (DHS) has updated quarantine guidance for close contacts of someone diagnosed with the coronavirus. The updated guidance will go into effect on Monday, according to a news release.

“For many, there may be barriers that make quarantining for a full 14 days extremely challenging,” said DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm. “While a shorter quarantine carries additional risk of spreading COVID-19, when done responsibly, it can make quarantining easier for more Wisconsinites.”

While a 14-day quarantine is still the safest option, the release said the new guidance takes into account emerging scientific evidence on quarantine periods, and recognizes the difficulty many Wisconsinites may have complying with the full 14-day quarantine.

DHS now allows that people who do not develop symptoms can end their quarantine:

• After completing day 10 of quarantine without testing.
• After completing day 7 of quarantine and receiving a negative test result (molecular or antigen) that was collected within 48 hours of the end of quarantine.

People must continue to monitor for symptoms for the full 14 days. If symptoms develop following the end of quarantine, people are advised to immediately isolate, contact their health care provider, and get tested, the release said.

Wisconsin surpassed the 400,000 mark in recorded COVID-19 cases on Friday, adding nearly 4,900 positives in one day and 63 additional deaths. There have now been 404,555 positive cases in the state and 3,625 deaths, according to the state Department of Health Services.