Implementing the CDC Revised COVID-19 Isolation, Quarantine and Testing Protocol

The CDC made significant revisions to it’s COVID-19 isolation protocol in December. Since then many employers have struggled to understand the new protocol and how to implement it in their production facilities. To help you understand that process, a member of Food Northwest has shared the following information on how they have implemented the new protocol. They have agreed to allow us to share this with the membership with the hope that it helps you evaluate your own company guidance.

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After a thorough review of the most recent CDC recommendations, we have made a decision to update our COVID-19 Isolation, Quarantine & Testing Protocols to reflect the latest CDC guidance, effective immediately.

Notable updates to our protocols include:

  • A shortening of isolation from 10 days to five days (from the positive test) for positive COVID cases, so employees may return to work after five days as long as they no longer have any symptoms.
  • When it comes to quarantining individuals exposed to someone who has been infected with COVID:
    • Fully vaccinated employees who have also received their booster shot (if it has been the right amount of time) can now continue working masked if they are identified in contact tracing with an exposure, as long as the fully vaccinated and boosted employee remains symptom-free.
    • Unvaccinated employees and vaccinated employees who received their last dose of J&J more than two months ago or Pfizer/Moderna more than six months ago and have not yet received a booster shot, will still need to quarantine and test after five days if they are still symptom-free.
  • Any employee (vaccinated or unvaccinated) who is identified in our contact tracing as having been exposed to a positive case will be required to get tested on or around day five after their exposure.

Please be assured that, even though we are reducing our required quarantine timeline to be in line with current CDC guidelines, we will continue to closely monitor each individual employee case to help ensure that employees do not return to work while still sick. Additionally, all of our existing protocols remain in place for mask wearing, social distancing, sanitation/hygiene and daily temperature checks and symptom screening for those working in our facilities in person.

We strongly encourage all employees to get vaccinated and boosted. Boosters are now recommended for all fully vaccinated people age 12+ as the best defense to help protect you, your co-workers and your community from serious illness as a result of the COVID virus.