The Wisconsin Department of Health Services(DHS) acted on Friday, December 4, to adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to reduce the length of quarantines for close contacts within certain parameters. These new DHS guidelines go into effect on Monday, December 7.
The two new criteria identified in the DHS guidelines for discontinuation of quarantine are listed below:
- Quarantines can end after Day 10 without testing if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring.
- Quarantines can end after Day 7 if the result of a diagnostic COVID-19 test is negative, and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring. The test specimen may be collected and tested within 48 hours before the time of planned quarantine discontinuation, but quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than after Day 7. A pending test result on day 7 is not sufficient to end quarantine early.
According to the DHS guidelines, antigen tests are acceptable for reducing quarantine duration, but molecular (e.g., PCR) tests are preferable.
The OASD also began following these guidelines on Monday, December 7, and quickly contacted all families with a student in quarantine if they were able to return to school earlier than originally planned.
Information from Waukesha County Health & Human Services
>> Click here for a flyer on the new quarantine options from Waukesha County