Ten Day Quarantines In Kalamazoo County

COVID-19 quarantine guidelines in Kalamazoo County are getting shorter. According to a release sent out from the Kalamazoo County Government on Tuesday, May 11th, the County will be transitioning from a 14-day quarantine period to a 10 day period, for those individuals that are exposed to COVID-19. For those Kalamazoo County individuals, already under quarantine, the changes go into effect immediately and are retroactive, so that they can reduce their total quarantine length from 14 to 10 days.

Although the quarantine time has been shortened, Kalamazoo County Health officials and the CDC are recommending that individuals continue to monitor for symptoms, through 14 days. Quarantine periods may end after 10 days as long as there are no symptoms and as long as there isn’t any ongoing household exposure.

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The decision to reduce quarantine times in Kalamazoo County is consistent with steps taken from other local health departments in the State of Michigan. In December, the CDC announced that quarantine could be shortened from 14 to 10 days if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring. Individuals cannot test out of quarantine. One option from the CDC, to reduce quarantine to 7 days if a person receives a negative test result is NOT being recommended by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services.

There are two specific groups exempt from the need to quarantine, following a COVID-19 exposure, if they remain without symptoms. Those groups include:

• Fully vaccinated individuals, defined as those in which more than two weeks has passed since their final COVID-19 vaccine dose
• Persons who have had COVID-19 within the last 90 days