For the Tomahawk Leader
LINCOLN COUNTY – The Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) announced on Monday, Dec. 7 that it had updated its quarantine guidance for those identified as close contacts of someone diagnosed with COVID-19, following in the footsteps of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), who had announced changes to their guidance earlier this month.
The updated guidance is effective statewide as of Monday, Dec. 7.
A release from LCHD said that although a 14-day quarantine is “still the safest option,” the new guidance takes into account “emerging scientific evidence on quarantine periods.”
LCHD stated it will “follow a 14-day quarantine,” but the length of which is subject to change if the following situations occur:
- The close contact tests positive for COVID-19. LCHD will call with a new release date.
- The close contact does not develop symptoms. The close contact can end their quarantine after completing ten days of quarantine without testing or after completing seven days of quarantine and receiving a negative test result (molecular or antigen) that was collected within 48 hours of the end of quarantine.
“Individuals must continue to monitor symptoms for the full 14 days,” LCHD stated. “If symptoms develop following the end of quarantine, individuals are advised to immediately isolate, contact their healthcare provider, and get tested. Symptoms are not necessarily shortness of breath and fever right away, so watch for more mild symptoms, such as headache, nausea, and sore throat. If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your clinic to get tested.”
A list of local testing sites can be found on LCHD’s website at www.bit.ly/33Q7ugX.
According to the release, quarantine orders that had been set prior to Monday, Dec. 7 will remain the full 14 days and will not be changed.
To view DHS’s interactive dashboards developed for the public to track local disease and regional hospital capacity, along with other resources, visit www.bit.ly/36lpv8R.
For the latest information about COVID-19 in Lincoln County, visit www.co.lincoln.wi.us/covid19 or follow LCHD on Facebook. You can also visit the CDC’s website (www.cdc.gov) or the DHS website (www.dhs.wisconsin.gov).
“LCHD will continue to update our Facebook page Monday – Friday with current COVID-19 case counts,” LCHD said. “This is a rapidly evolving situation.”