Coronavirus: CDC changes 14-day self-quarantine recommendation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its recommendation of self-quarantine after traveling.

The CDC had said that anyone who traveled internationally should self-quarantine for 14 days. The suggestion also applied to travel to coronavirus hot spots within the United States.

But the CDC recently changed its stance, not issuing a blanket quarantine timeframe applying to all international travel, and now basing it on individual countries, USA Today reported.

“This updated guidance is based on risk of exposure during travel, asking travelers to think about what they did, where they were and who they came into contact with to evaluate their risk of exposure to covid-19,” CDC spokesperson Scott Pauley told The Washington Post via email.

When returning from a trip, the CDC now recommends that people social distance, wear a mask, wash their hands often and look for symptoms — the same steps all people are being told to follow when in public, the Post reported.

You can see what the risk of traveling is by clicking here.

The change does not overrule state-enacted rules of 14-day quarantines where applicable, the Post reported.

The CDC also still recommends those who have been in close contact with a person who has the coronavirus, to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Close contact includes: being within 6 feet of someone with the virus for a total of at least 15 minutes; having cared for someone with coronavirus at home; having physical contact with someone with COVID-19; having shared eating or drinking utensils with the person; or if they have sneezed or coughed on you.

Cox Media Group