CDC recommends shorter quarantine time in US

The present guidelines advise staying home for 14 days after the last contact with a person who has Covid-19. PHOTO: ST FILE

WASHINGTON • The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force on Tuesday that its new guidance would cut quarantine time for individuals exposed to the virus by as much as half, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The new recommended quarantine would be seven days for those who test negative after exposure to Covid-19 and 10 days for those who do not take a test, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss information that has not been made public.

At present, CDC guidelines for people who have been exposed is to "stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has Covid-19". The CDC's new guidance was reported on Tuesday by The New York Times.

Over the weekend, members of the task force appeared on several news programmes to promise a swift roll-out of coronavirus vaccines by the end of the year.

Healthcare workers and residents at long-term care centres should be first in line for the vaccines, said key government advisers.

Meanwhile, the US Transportation Department has made preparations to enable the "immediate mass shipment" of Covid-19 vaccines and completed all necessary regulatory measures.

The department said US agencies have been coordinating with private sector companies that will carry vaccines from manufacturing facilities to distribution centres and inoculation points.

It said it has established "appropriate safety requirements for all potential hazards involved in shipping the vaccine, including standards for dry ice and lithium batteries used in cooling".

The department is preparing to ensure deliveries of vaccine doses for about 40 million residents in the United States through January, or about 20 million a month, officials said.

Healthcare workers and others recommended for the first inoculations could start getting shots within 24 hours of the vaccine receiving regulatory authorisation.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 03, 2020, with the headline CDC recommends shorter quarantine time in US. Subscribe