The Iowa Department of Public Health has changed the Iowa quarantine recommendations for people that have been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, and Siouxland District Health is implementing the change, effective immediately.
Close contacts of COVID-positive cases will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days if a face covering was consistently worn by both people during the exposure.
Household/residential contacts and contacts in health care settings will still have the 14-day quarantine recommendation.
Any type of face covering is acceptable; however, a face shield is not considered a face covering and quarantine is still required if one or both people were wearing a face shield only.
People currently in quarantine may discontinue that quarantine if both people were wearing a face covering during the time of exposure.
This is not a replacement for social distancing, but it should reduce the number of quarantines in school and work settings.
