CDC Drops 14-Day Quarantine Recommendation for Returning Travelers

The 14-day quarantine recommendation for returning travelers has been dropped by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Friday.

CDC said the lifting of the 14-day quarantine applies to both overseas and out-of-state returning travelers.

The updated CDC guidelines can be seen on the CDC website. While the 14-day quarantine recommendation was changed, the agency still cautioned travelers that they can still get COVID-19.

"You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread COVID-19 to others," CDC warns. They still reminded people that, with or without quarantine, a person can still pass the virus on to their friends and family.

They told travelers to wear masks indoors, wash hands, keep on observing social distancing and keep an eye out for symptoms of COVID-19, Fox News reported.

If can be noted, though, that these guidelines have been around since the beginning of the pandemic. It applies to all Americans regardless of travel plans.

Before, the guidelines asked travelers to self-isolate for 14 days. The previous rules were most specific to those coming back from overseas or areas with high concentration of COVID-19 cases, said USA Today.

In an email to The Washington Post CDC spokesman Scott Pauley said the new guidelines are based on risk of exposure during travel. It makes travelers think about what they did, where they were or who they interacted with.

These factors will help find out how exposed they may be to the virus.

They told travelers to follow the strict advise regardless of what they did or where they went to during their trip.

Staying at Home Pays If You Travelled

CDC said being on trips can increase your risk of getting and spreading the virus. They stressed that staying at home amid the pandemic is the best way to stay healthy.

Being at home protects not just one person but also the others they may meet when they go out.

The agency recommends to check their guidelines if they must travel. All of the recommendations can be seen on government websites for their destinations.

They also said to check guidelines for places that they will be passing by in trips.

Travel requirements may vary between locations. Some places want those who recently travelled to stay at home for two weeks. Others have travelers get tested for COVID-19.

Plans for international travel can be better laid out by checking a country's Office of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Health for health requirements, said CDC.

The 14-Day Quarantine Helps Prevent Viral Spread

Doctors said that quarantines are most welcome, especially if a person went to an area that was heavily impacted by coronavirus. Quarantines are especially useful if testing is not absent.

"Broadly speaking, if someone travels to an area with an active outbreak, it's reasonable upon return for them to be required to either get tested or to quarantine," Boston University epidemiologist Sandro Galea said.

CDC did still note that being in crowds and not staying at home makes the chances of contracting the virus go up. There may be people who are asymptomatic and spread the disease, they warned.

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