AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Public Health, in response to the Centers for Disease Control’s recent adjustments to their COVID-19 quarantine recommendations, is making adjustments of its own.

The agency released a flow chart that describes situations when people should quarantine for up to 14 days, or dial it back to 10 days, when coming in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

Healthcare workers and first responders can quarantine for just seven days as long as they have a negative test on the seventh day, according to the new guidelines.

New COVID-19 quarantine flow chart courtesy of APH

The recommendations are as follows:

  • If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 and were not wearing a mask OR you do live with or work in a setting with people who are at high risk for severe disease, you should quarantine for the full 14 days.  
  • If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19 and were wearing a mask and do not live with or work in a setting with people who are at high risk for severe disease, the following guidance applies:  
    • Quarantine for 10 days, monitoring your symptoms OR quarantine for 7 days, monitoring your symptoms AND receive a negative COVID-19 test on or after the 5th day following exposure.  
    • If you are a healthcare worker or first responder, quarantine for 7 days, monitoring your symptoms AND receive a negative COVID-19 PCR test result on or after the 7th day following exposure. 

APH reiterates the chart is for precautionary situations where you aren’t sure COVID-19 was spread to you. If a person becomes symptomatic during the quarantine period and tests positive, the self-isolation protocol is at least 10 days since the beginning of symptoms plus at least a day following a subsiding fever or other improvements.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Headache
  • Runny nose
  • Loss of sense of taste/smell
  • Sore throat
  • Diarrhea

For more information on the city’s COVID-19 response, visit its website.