Update Applicable to:
All employers in the state of New York.
What happened?
On September 14, 2022, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) updated its COVID-19 quarantine and isolation webpage to remove earlier written COVID-19 guidance and tables dated May 31, 2022 (the “May Guidance”).
What are the details?
According to the September 14 guidance, the NYSDOH will now follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines on quarantine and isolation.
Quarantine
Perhaps most significantly, under the CDC guidance, asymptomatic individuals exposed to COVID-19 need not quarantine regardless of vaccination status. Instead, those exposed to COVID-19 should wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and be tested on day 5. Those who test positive should isolate per the isolation rules listed below.
The NYSDOH’s adoption of the CDC’s guidance discontinues its prior approach of establishing different quarantine periods for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Notably, the CDC’s guidance also states that screening asymptomatic individuals without known exposure to COVID-19 will no longer be recommended in most community settings.
Isolation
The requirement that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate has not changed under the current guidance. Individuals who test positive are now directed to follow the CDC’s isolation precautions. The NYSDOH’s Isolation webpage directs visitors to the CDC’s Aug. 11, 2022 isolation guidance which establishes the standards set forth below:
When Must I Isolate?
Asymptomatic Individuals
Symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals who experience worsening symptoms after the end of their initial isolation period should restart isolation at day 0.
Post-Isolation Recommendations
Regardless of when one’s isolation ended, those who tested positive for COVID-19 should take the following precautionary measures until at least day 11:
For more information, please see the links below:
Updated August 24, 2022, CDC Guidance
What do employers need to do?
Employers should review the links provided above and make changes to their Quarantine and Isolation guidance to the CDC’s
