What is the duration of quarantine or isolation for positive cases and close contacts or household contacts to positive cases?

Positive Cases (Symptomatic or Asymptomatic):
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends, and the SCCDPH requires, that individuals who have a positive COVID-19 test be placed on mandatory quarantine and isolate for 10 days, with no fever and no COVID-related symptoms (without medication) for the final 24 hours of the 10-day quarantine to be released. This quarantine may be extended if the person has severe COVID-19 illness.

The 10-day duration of quarantine is based on CDC studies that have determined symptomatic and asymptomatic positive cases generally stop shedding live virus after 10 days if symptoms are absent.

SCCDPH will make a determination if someone will be required to quarantine longer than 10 days, based on symptoms, onset, and disease severity.

Close Contact or Household Contact:
The CDC recommends, and the SCCDPH, requires that individuals who are a close contact or household contact to a positive COVID-19 case be placed on mandatory quarantine and isolate for 14 days after their last exposure to the positive case. The duration of quarantine for close contacts and household contacts is different from positive cases because 14 days is the average incubation period for COVID-19. An incubation period is the time the virus is in your body and you are infected, but do not yet have symptoms. It can take this long for an individual to show symptoms after being exposed to a positive symptomatic or asymptomatic case.

Specifically, for household contacts:

  • If the positive case is isolated in the home, quarantine would end 14 days after last exposure to the positive case/when the positive case began quarantine.
  • If the positive case is not isolated within the home, quarantine would continue for 14 days starting on the day the positive case is released from quarantine.

Please note that the length of quarantine for household contacts will be extended if:

  1. The positive COVID-19 patient is not isolated in the house/apartment/residence.
    If the positive case in a household is not completely isolated, including from shared kitchen and bathroom spaces within the house, other members of the household can expect to be quarantined for an additional 14 days after the positive case is released from quarantine.
  2. Another family member, who was not isolating previously, tests positive for COVID-19.
  3. If anyone is found to be breaking their quarantine by leaving their home.

Show All Answers

1. What is mandatory quarantine?
2. What is Isolation?
3. What happens after I receive my quarantine notification?
4. What is the duration of quarantine or isolation for positive cases and close contacts or household contacts to positive cases?
5. Are there any laws that pertain to quarantine?
6. Why do I need to isolate from my household members?
7. If I'm isolated, can I leave my room to do things around the house?
8. What if I test positive and have young children and/or dependent household members for which I am responsible?
9. I tested positive for COVID-19. Do I need to test negative in order to be released from quarantine or isolation?
10. I've tested positive for COVID-19. Should everyone with whom I have closely contacted be tested too?
11. How will I obtain groceries or other necessities if I live alone, or if everyone in my household is quarantined with me?
12. Are there mental health resources available for me during these challenging times?