*The potential infectious period is 2 days before the date of symptoms began or the positive test date (if no symptoms) through Day 10. (Day 0 is the symptomonset date or positive test date).
- If you have new COVID-19symptoms, you should test and mask right away.
- If you do not have symptoms, and are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection and would benefit from treatment, you should test within 5 days.
- If you do not have symptomsand have contact with people who are at higher risk for severe infection, you should mask indoors when around such peoplefor 10 days.Consider testing within 5 days after the last exposure date (Day 0) and before contact with higher-risk people. For further details, seeCDPH COVID-19 testing guidance.
Workplace Settings
In the workplace, employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Non-Emergency Regulations or in some workplaces the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard (PDF) and should consult those regulations for additional applicable requirements. In certain healthcare situations or settings and other covered facilities, services and operations, surgical masks or respiratorsare required.
Healthcare Settings
This guidance does not apply to healthcare personnel. Healthcare personnel in general acute care hospital, acute psychiatrichospital, and skilled nursing facilitiesshould follow recommendations as set forth inAFL 21-08.9.Healthcare personnel working in settings not covered by AFL 21-08.9 may also follow the guidance outlined in AFL 21-08.9.Healthcare facilitiesshould follow the guidance for management of exposed or infected patients/residentsin the CDC COVID-19 Infection Prevention and ControlRecommendations.
LHJs, facilities, or other organizations such as high-risk congregate settings (list found in Updated COVID-19 Testing Guidance)may continue to implement additional requirements that are more protectivethan this statewide guidance based on local circ*mstances, including in certain higher-risk settings or during certain situations that may require additional isolation and quarantine requirements (for example, during active outbreaks in high-risk settings).
Definitions
Isolation:
Separates those infected with a contagious disease from people who are not infected.
Confirmed Case:
A person who has received a positive result of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus as confirmed by a COVID-19 viral test or clinical diagnosis.
Close Contact:
"Close Contact" means the following:
In indoor spaces of 400,000 or fewer cubic feet per floor (such as homes, clinic waiting rooms, airplanes, etc.), close contact is defined as sharing the same indoor airspace for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes) during a confirmed case's infectious period.
In large indoor spaces greater than 400,000 cubic feet per floor (such as open-floor-plan offices, warehouses, large retail stores, manufacturing, or food processing facilities), close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of the infected personfor a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the confirmed case's infectious period.
Spaces that are separated by floor-to-ceiling walls (e.g., offices, suites, rooms, waiting areas, bathrooms, or break or eating areas that are separated by floor-to-ceiling walls) must be considered distinct indoor airspaces.
Additional considerations and recommendations for those at higher-risk contacts:
Higher-risk Contactissomeone who:
- May experience severe illness if they become infected with COVID-19.
- May be more likely to transmit the virus to those who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19.
Contacts with more potential to transmit the virus to others or to transmit to higher risk secondary contacts are recommended to take greater care in following the recommendations to limit spreading the virus to others during the 10 days following their exposure and may consider self-limiting their exposure to others and masking.
All higher-risk close contacts should get tested at least once and are strongly recommended to follow the testing and mitigation measures outlined in this guidance.
Other Considerations
For more information on testing, see the Updated COVID-19 Testing Guidance.
Masking
As noted above, those who test positive should mask indoors when around others during thefull 10 daysfollowing symptom onset date (or positive test date if no symptoms). However, confirmed cases may remove their mask sooner than 10 full days after two sequential negative antigen tests at least one day apart.
If test results are positive, the person may still be infectious, and should continue wearing a mask and wait at least one day before taking another test up to Day 10.
All persons wearing masks should optimize mask fit and filtration, ideally through use of a respirator (N95, KN95, KF94). If a respirator is not available, asurgical mask may be used. See When and Why to Wear a Mask for more information.
Schools and Child Care Programs
For guidance on the management of infected and exposed people in K–12 school and child caresettings, seethe Guidance for K-12 Schools and Child Care Settings to Mitigate the Spread of Communicable Disease, 2023 -2024 School Year.
Discrimination and Stigma
California has a diverse population with no single racial or ethnic group constituting a majority of the population. Ourpopulationsinclude members of tribal nations, immigrants, and refugees.
Some groups may be at higher risk for COVID-19 or worse health outcomes due to several reasons including living conditions, work circ*mstances, underlying health conditions, and limited access to care.
It is important that communication with the public is conducted in a culturally appropriate manner. This includes meaningful engagement with representativesfrom affected communities, collaborating with community-serving organizations, respecting the cultural practices in the community, and taking into consideration the social, economic, and immigration contexts in which people in these communities live and work. LHJs should be mindful of discrimination based on all protected categories.
To help build trust, jurisdictions should employ public health staff who are fluent in the preferred language of the affected community. When that is not possible, interpreters and translations should be provided for persons who have limited English proficiency[1]. Core demographic variables should be included in case investigation and contact tracing forms, including detailed race and ethnicity, as well as preferred language.
Finally, given that diverse populations experience discrimination and stigma, it is important to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of data collected and to ensure that COVID-19 cases and identified contacts are aware of these safeguards.
Every person in California, regardless of immigration status, is protected from discrimination and harassment in employment, housing, business establishments, and state-funded programs based upon their race, national origin, and ancestry, among other protected characteristics.
All instructions provided by LHJs to persons who are being asked to isolate should be provided in their primary language and be culturally appropriate. Additionally, LHJs should ensure that instructions for persons with disabilities, including those with access and functional needs, are provided.
[1] See the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act for more information on communication requirements with persons who need language translation assistance.
