Niagara County Department of Health announces update to COVID-19 quarantine requirement

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Niagara County Department of Health announced an update to its COVID-19 quarantine requirement Tuesday.

The county said based on New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance the county will implement a “Test Out of Quarantine” strategy for all county residents.

According to the county, residents identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 positive case who are not fully vaccinated can be released from quarantine after seven full days following the last COVID-19 exposure under the following conditions:

• A diagnostic COVID-19 test, with a specimen collected and tested within 48 hours before the end of the planned quarantine discontinuation (on Day 5 or later) is NEGATIVE, AND
• NO symptoms are reported during daily monitoring

Below you can find key points and quarantine information provided by the department of health:

Key Points

• Quarantine cannot be discontinued earlier than after completion of Day 7 (on Day 8).
• Acceptable COVID-19 tests include NAAT (PCR) tests or antigen tests conducted and reported by a licensed laboratory. At-home test results will not be accepted for early release of quarantine.
• People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they have symptoms. However, fully vaccinated people should get tested 5-7 days after their exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.

Quarantine

• If you are a close contact of someone that tests positive for COVID-19 you must quarantine for 10 days past your last contact with the person that tested positive unless:
  You are fully vaccinated, AND, you do NOT have symptoms, OR
  You have recently recovered from COVID-19 and new exposure is within 3 months after the date of symptom onset of initial COVID-19 infection or date of positive diagnostic test (if asymptomatic), AND, you do NOT have symptoms.
• Unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated close contacts should have a diagnostic COVID19 test 5 to 7 days after their last contact with the person that tested positive.
• Close contacts should continue to monitor for symptoms and wear a mask indoors and outdoors in public settings for 14 days following last exposure.
• Individuals that test positive during their quarantine period must isolate for 10 days from either the onset of symptoms or the date of the test if asymptomatic.