Quarantine
(for close contacts of a person with COVID-19)
What is a close contact?
A close contact includes:
Being within 6 feet of an infected person for
a total of 15 cumulative minutes or more over 24 hours
Providing
care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
Direct
physical contact with an infectious person (ex: hugging/kissing)
Sharing
eating or drinking utensils
Being exposed to respiratory droplets from an
infectious person (ex: sneezing/coughing)
Quarantine
means that you need to separate yourself from others because you may have
been exposed to the COVID-19 virus but are not currently symptomatic.
Isolation
means that you need to separate yourself from others because you may be
infected with the COVID-19 virus. Isolate if you test positive for COVID-19
or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
You
need to quarantine if you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 if: o You are age 18 or older and
completed your primary series of the
COVID-19 vaccine, but have not received your recommended COVID-19 booster dose when
you became eligible.
For
example, it has been more than 2 months since your J&J vaccine, more than 5
months since your last Pfizer vaccine, or more than 6 months since your last
Moderna vaccine.
You are
unvaccinated or have not completed your primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine.
You
can use this flow chart to help
decide if you need to quarantine.
The
person with COVID-19 should reach out to you to let you know about your
exposure. If the exposure happened at work, your employer may also reach out to
you to notify you of your exposure.
You may also receive a call or text from Maine
CDC’s contact tracing team to notify you of your exposure.
You need to quarantine if you are a close contact of someone
with COVID-19 if:
You are age 18 or older and completed your primary series of
the COVID-19 vaccine, but have not received your recommended COVID-19 booster
dose when you became eligible.
For example, it has been more than 2 months since your
J&J vaccine, more than 5 months since your last Pfizer vaccine, or more
than 6 months since your last Moderna vaccine.
You are unvaccinated or have not completed your primary
series of the COVID-19 vaccine.
You can use this flow chart to help decide if you need to
quarantine.
You do not need to quarantine if you are a close contact of
someone with COVID-19 if: You are age 18 or older and have received all
recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including your primary series, boosters,
and any additional primary doses (for some immunocompromised people).
You are age 5-17 years and completed the primary series of
COVID-19 vaccines (individuals in this age range MAY also receive a booster but
this does not affect quarantine).
You tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days.
For
children who are fully vaccinated and may receive a booster dose (5-17
year olds):
You do
not need to quarantine after a COVID-19 exposure.
You
should wear a face covering anytime you are around other people for 10 days.
You
should take a COVID-19 test on day 5 after your last exposure.
If you
develop symptoms, get a COVID-19 test, and isolate at home.
For children 17 years of age and younger who
are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated: o You
need to quarantine. Stay home for 5 days.
You can
leave quarantine for emergency or necessary medical care. If you are
symptomatic, please call ahead.
You may leave your house for outdoor exercise activities,
such as swimming or hiking, provided that you abide by physical distancing
guidelines and avoid contact with other people.
Your household members can continue to leave the house if
they are not also in quarantine.
Wear a well-fitting face covering when around others at home
as much as possible.
After 5 days, you can leave your home, but should continue
to wear a well-fitting face covering around other people for an additional 5
days.
You should take a COVID-19 test on day 5 after your last
exposure.
If you live with the COVID-positive person and they cannot
completely isolate from you, you may need to quarantine for a longer period of
time (if you need to quarantine).
If the positive person does not have symptoms
(asymptomatic): o
You should quarantine the entire time the positive person is isolating.
Once
the positive person meets the criteria to leave isolation, your 5-day
quarantine countdown begins. You should remain in your house quarantining
during this time.
Refer to these
scenarios to understand your quarantine timeline.
If the
positive person has symptoms: o You should quarantine the
entire time the positive person is isolating.
Once
the positive person meets the criteria
to leave isolation, your 5-day quarantine countdown begins. You should remain
in your house quarantining during this time. This may mean that you will need
to quarantine for a longer period of time, depending on when they can leave
isolation.
Refer
to these scenarios to understand
your quarantine timeline.
If the
positive person is asymptomatic but develops symptoms during isolation: o You should quarantine the
entire time the positive person is isolating.
Once
the positive person meets the criteria
to leave isolation, your 5-day quarantine countdown begins. You should remain
in your house quarantining during this time. This may mean that you will need
to quarantine for a longer period of time, depending on when they can leave
isolation.
Refer
to these scenarios to understand
your quarantine timeline.
If you had a positive molecular COVID-19 (PCR, NAAT, or isothermal) or antigen test, you do not need to quarantine if you are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive case within 90 days (3 months) after your first positive test, as long as you remain asymptomatic. You should wear a well-fitted face mask at all times around others for 10 days following your exposure.
After
this 90-day period from your first positive test, you will need to quarantine
if you become a close contact of a COVID-19 positive case.
This 90-day exemption includes positive at-home,
self-collected tests results.
If you are unable to wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days
following your exposure, you should quarantine for the full 10 days.
An individual who believes they had a previous COVID-19
infection but did not have a positive COVID-19 molecular or antigen test must
still quarantine after an exposure.
If you
are exposed to COVID-19 and CANNOT wear a well-fitted face mask, regardless
of your vaccination status or previous COVID-19 infection, you need to
quarantine for 10 full days.
Get tested at least 5 days after your last close contact with the positive person, even if you do not develop symptoms.
Stay
home and away from other people for at least 5 days (day 0 through the end of
day 5) after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
The
date of your last exposure to the person with COVID-19 is considered day 0.
Wear a
well-fitting face covering when you are around others at home as much as
possible.
If you
live with the positive person and they cannot fully isolate from you, you may
need to quarantine for longer than 5 days. Use this guidance to figure out when
you can leave quarantine.
For 10 days after your last exposure to the person with
COVID-19, watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other COVID-19
symptoms.
If you develop COVID-19 symptoms at any time,
isolate and get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible. If you test possible,
follow isolation recommendations. If you test negative, you can leave isolation
and finish your quarantine period.
If you
do not develop COVID-19 symptoms, get a test at least 5 days after your last
exposure to the person with COVID-19.
If you
test negative, you can leave quarantine, but continue to wear a well-fitting
face covering around other people until 10 days after your last exposure to the
person with COVID-19.
If
you test positive but do not have symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days until
you meet the criteria to be released from
isolation.
If you
test positive and have COVID-19 symptoms, isolate until you meet the criteria
to be released from isolation.
If you
are unable to get a test you can leave your quarantine after day 5 as long as
you do not develop symptoms. Wear a well-fitting face covering until 10 days
have passed since your last exposure to the person with COVID-19.
If you
are unable to wear a face covering when around others, you should continue to
quarantine at home for the full 10 days.
For the whole 10 days after your last exposure, stay away
from other people (including the people you live with), especially people who
are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.
Especially
avoid people who are immunocompromised, at high risk for severe disease, and
nursing homes and other high-risk settings.
Do not travel during your 5-day quarantine period.
Get
tested at day 5 and make sure your test result is negative and you remain
symptom-free before traveling.
If you
do not get tested, delay traveling until 10 days after your last close contact.
If you must travel before 10 days is complete, wear a well-fitting face
covering for the entire duration of travel when around others. If you cannot
wear a face covering, do not travel during this 10-day period.
During
the 10 days after your last close contact, do not go to places where you are
unable to wear a mask, such as restaurants and avoid eating around others at
home and at work until after day 10.
