Quarantine and Isolation Guidance

If You've Tested Positive for COVID-19: Isolation

Because of the large number of positive COVID-19 cases in our community, those with a positive COVID test may not hear from the Public Health department.

  1. Step 1: If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you need to isolate immediately regardless of your vaccination status.
  2. Step 2: Follow the Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine from CDPH.
    • The above guidance does not apply to congregate living, health care settings or schools. For school guidance, visit the Safe Schools Hub.
  3. Step 3: Identify your close contacts and let them know you tested positive. Share the Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine with them.
    • You are considered infectious two days before your symptoms started. If you are asymptomatic, you are considered infectious two days before the day you took your test. You are considered infectious until your isolation ends.
      Close contacts are everyone who was within 6 feet of you for more than 15 minutes while you were infectious. The 15 minutes are cumulative over 24 hours, so if you are close to someone for 5 minutes three times in one day while infectious, they are a close contact.

Let your employer know if you were infectious while at work. Employers can find resources for workplace exposures here. 

If You Were Exposed to COVID-19: Quarantine

If you were a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, you must follow the Guidance on Isolation and Quarantine.

A "close contact" is defined by the CDC as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to their test) until the time the patient is isolated.

More Resources

Workplace Exposures

See our step-by-step instructions for employers who have a workplace COVID-19 exposure