DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – The Macon County Health Department will now allow a 10-day quarantine for COVID-19 close contacts during instances in which a 14-day quarantine is not possible.
The MCHD continues to endorse a 14-day quarantine period for persons identified as close contacts of COVID-19 cases, as also recommended as a best practice by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).
The 10-day quarantine DOES NOT APPLY for Congregate Settings (Long-Term Care, Skilled Care, Correctional Centers, Prisons, Jails).
Close contacts in Congregate settings MUST quarantine for the full 14-day period.
Anyone who comes in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case should begin quarantine as soon as they are aware of their exposure and follow MCHD contact tracers' guidance throughout their quarantine duration.
Contacts who require letters of release from quarantine must have completed daily health assessments and must also be asymptomatic in order to receive the letter and be released from quarantine.
