Contact Tracing

• Individuals who were in close contact with a Covid-19 positive case may be identified and contacted as part of the LDH contact tracing process.

• Close contact is defined as

• being within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period OR
• having direct contact with an infected person, including touching, hugging, kissing, or sharing eating or drinking utensils; or if an infected person sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on another person.
• Indoor Classroom Exception: If BOTH the case and the contact were engaged in consistent and correct use of a well-fitting face mask AND were within 3 to 6 feet of each other, then those close contacts do not need to quarantine. •
  • This exception only applies to students and should not be used for teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting.    
• Close contacts should be encouraged to seek testing immediately, regardless of vaccination status. If negative, they should be tested again between 5-7 days post exposure.
• Close contacts of a COVID-19 positive individual must stay home for 10-14 days following exposure.
  • If no symptoms develop during quarantine and no testing is done, the individual may quarantine for 10-14 days from last contact with a COVID-19 case.
  • If quarantine is shortened, daily symptom monitoring and strict adherence to prevention measures including physical distancing, hand washing, and wearing face masks should continue until 14 days from last contact with a COVID-19 case.
• Close contacts who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 90 days and remain asymptomatic do not need to quarantine.
• Close contacts who are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose in a single-dose vaccine) at the time of exposure and remain asymptomatic do not need to be quarantined.