Still confused about how to calculate quarantine/isolation periods for employees concerned about possible exposure to COVID-19? You are not alone.

Earlier this year the Center for Disease Control (CDC) updated its COVID-19 isolation and quarantine recommendations which included shorter isolation periods (for asymptomatic and mildly ill individuals) and quarantine periods of 5 days to focus on the period where a person is most infectious, followed by continued masking for an additional 5 days. As the Omicron variant swept the nation employers struggled to interpret and enforce the new ‘one-size fits all’ guidelines against a reality that has shown time and again that each person’s COVID-19 experience is unique. Now, with Omicron receding – for the moment at least – the CDC has taken the opportunity to create a unique and (hopefully!) helpful tool that will assist employers and the public in making quarantine/isolation decisions.

The CDC’s new Quarantine and Isolation Calculator is designed to assist those: 1) who have COVID-19; or 2) believe they have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, in determining how long they should quarantine/isolate or take other precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Calculator does not apply to certain groups (e.g., immunocompromised) and in certain high-risk settings (e.g., high-risk congregate and healthcare).

Information for various individuals necessary to use the tool includes:

• People with COVID-19 who do not have symptoms need to know the date they were tested for COVID-19.
• People with COVID-19 who have symptoms need to know the date their symptoms began.
• Close contacts need to know the date they last came into close contact with someone with COVID-19.

Members with questions about quarantine/isolation periods or administrating COVID-19 2022 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave should contact Western Growers.