The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has announced that it is updating its guidance on the isolation and quarantine period for both the public and healthcare providers on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NJDOH is expected to publish its revised guidelines in the next few days but has directed the public to refer to the CDC guidelines in the meantime.
The NJDOH update will reflect CDC’s guidance, which shortens the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for individuals with COVID-19 to 5 days, if they do not have symptoms, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others.
NJDOH is also adopting changes to the recommended quarantine period for members of the general public who have been exposed to COVID-19. Per CDC, individuals who are unvaccinated, are more than six months out from their second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine and not yet boosted, should quarantine for 5 days, followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Individuals who have received their booster vaccine do not need to quarantine following an exposure, however they should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
In the NJ CAR advisory issued on December 28, 2021, a chart was included that summarizes the CDC guidelines for isolation and quarantine but also added suggested testing protocols. To be clear, the CDC did not recommend testing for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have isolated for 5 days and now are ready to leave their home. The suggestions for testing are only suggested best practices.
Dealers are reminded that they can have stricter guidelines than the NJDOH and the CDC in their Covid-19 policies, in order to meet the individual challenges of their dealership. In the end, the protection of dealership employees and customers is the paramount goal.