SLO County relaxes quarantine rules for people exposed to COVID
People who have been exposed to COVID-19 but have not tested positive and aren’t experiencing symptoms no longer have to quarantine at home, according to new guidelines released by the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.
However, people exposed to the virus still should take a test five days after exposure, wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days after exposure and monitor symptoms, Public Health said in a news release Friday.
Anyone who develops symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19 is required to immediately isolate, according to the guidelines.
“The bottom line is still, stay home if you’re sick or test positive for COVID-19,” county Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said. “If you’re exposed to COVID-19, please be vigilant about masking, testing and monitoring for symptoms — and be honest with yourself and others if you start to experience even mild symptoms like a headache or sore throat.”
The county health order updating the quarantine and isolation guidelines was changed to align with the California Department of Public Health, Public Health said in the release.
Also, the county is no longer conducting individual contact tracing to let people know when they have been exposed to COVID. Instead, people who test positive at a community testing site will receive a text message and email notification with isolation instructions, the release said.
The county is not tracking the number of positive at-home test results recorded locally.
People who test positive using an at-home test can find isolation instructions , including an isolation calculator, on the county website at bit.ly/slocovidQI.
Although there has been a slight uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases tracked by Public Health this week, the number of hospitalizations has not increased.
“If you are exposed and do not quarantine, please remember you must be extremely diligent in masking until after day ten,” Borenstein said. “That means avoiding situations where you might take off your mask, like eating at a restaurant.”
The change comes the same week a Florida federal judge struck down the mask mandate on airlines, trains and other forms of public transportation.
Where to get a COVID-19 test and schedule a vaccine appointment
Free coronavirus testing is available at clinics in San Luis Obispo, Grover Beach and Paso Robles.
To make an appointment, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/COVID-19-Testing or call 888-634-1123 to register by phone.
Testing is administered at 801 Grand Ave in San Luis Obispo, 1336 Ramona Ave #A in Grover Beach and 800 Pine Street in Paso Robles.
To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, call 805-781-5500 or the clinic site to schedule an appointment . The county Public Health Department is also administering vaccines and boosters on a walk-in basis at public health clinics in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Grover Beach. To find shots at pharmacies near you, visit Vaccines.gov.
Vaccines are administered at the San Luis Obispo clinic is located at 2191 Johnson Ave., the Grover Beach clinic is located at 286 South 16th St. and the Paso Robles clinic is located at 723 Walnut Drive.
For more information on clinic hours, visit slocounty.ca.gov/COVID-19/Vaccines
Are you suffering from long COVID? The Tribune wants to speak with you
The prevalence of long COVID in San Luis Obispo County is currently unknown, but we want to learn how living with the lingering side effects of COVID-19 may have impacted the lives of impacted community members.
Fill out the form below to share your story and help us shape our COVID-19 coverage moving forward. You can also fill out the form at bit.ly/slolongcovid.
