SAN FRNACISCO (KCBS) — California public health officials have adopted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new isolation and quarantine recommendations amid the COVID-19 omicron variant's spread, with one key exception.
The California Department of Public Health announced on Thursday it had aligned with the federal agency's recommended five-day isolation or quarantine period for asymptomatic people who test positive or are exposed to COVID, while also recommending a negative test to leave it. The CDC said "best practice" would include a negative test after five days, but the agency stopped short of recommending it outright.
California officials also recommended that residents "upgrade" their masks by wearing an N95, KN95 or KF94 mask.
"If you don't have access to one of these masks, wear a surgical mask or a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top," officials said in a release on Thursday night. "If you choose a fabric mask, opt for one with three of more cloth layers. No matter what kind of mask you wear, check the fit by avoiding gaps above the nose or on the sides."
Both California and the CDC's guidance recommends asymptomatic people leaving quarantine or isolation to wear a mask for at least five days, or 10 days for a person who has received their booster shot and been exposed to COVID-19. The CDC recommendation published Thursday said to "wear a well-fitting mask," while California said exposed or COVID-positive individuals should "optimize mask fit and filtration, ideally through use of a surgical mask or respirator."
Dr. Robert Wachter, Chair of the UCSF Department of Medicine, tweeted Thursday night that California's recommendation was "safer" than the federal one.
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