Michigan Updating Quarantine Guidance To Follow CDC Recommendations

(CBS Detroit) -- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Friday that it will update its quarantine guidance to match new recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Officials said the recommendations reduce isolation restrictions from 10 days to five for people who aren't vaccinated or haven't received the booster followed by an additional five days of wearing a well-fitting mask.

The new guidance is specific to the general public and does not change the current recommendations for congregate settings, early childcare or K-12 settings: Those settings should continue to use existing guidelines and policies regarding quarantine and isolation.

"We have safe and effective tools for preventing the spread of COVID-19," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. "Getting vaccinated continues to be the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization, and we urge all Michiganders over age 5 to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"These most recent updates to the quarantine and isolation guidelines are a reflection on our progress as we learn more about COVID – but we are not in the clear as variants like omicron continue to create new challenges in the fight to end this pandemic. Continue to wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth, test and social distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, avoid large gatherings and get vaccinated and boosted if you haven't already."

This comes a few days after MDHHS said it would not mirror the new recommendations at that time as it reviewed supporting evidence for the guidance.

The state on Wednesday recorded case counts that shattered the record, reporting nearly 13,000 a day — almost a third more than the peak set over a year ago.

More than 50 cases of the omicron variant were reported in Michigan, the majority of it which is identified in Metro Detroit. The first case was detected earlier this month in Kent County.

MDHHS said the specifics of the new quarantine guidance will be shared as further information becomes available from the CDC.

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