ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)- As the countdown to Thanksgiving continues, travelers should take note. Vaccinated people are still required to quarantine if they are exposed to and get sick from COVID or if they test positive, according to the New York State Department of Health.
People who are asymptomatic don’t have to quarantine but are supposed to get tested between three and five days after exposure. Asymptomatic people are also supposed to wear a mask inside public areas for 14 days or until they confirm they don’t have the virus through a negative test result.
Unvaccinated and exposed over the holidays? People who have gotten COVID and recovered in the past three months do not need to get tested or quarantine. If it’s been more than three months, people who’ve been exposed to someone with COVID are required to quarantine for 10 days regardless of whether they have been tested.
How does someone know if they are at risk from exposure? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said close contacts can put people in COVID’s path. Close contact(s) are defined as:
- People who live in the same household
- Someone a person has had direct physical contact with
- Someone who has come in direct contact with infectious secretions from someone with COVID or suspected to have COVID
- Being within six feet of someone with COVID for 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period
That means houseguests or anyone sitting at a Thanksgiving table is considered a close contact. Anyone exposed to COVID (vaccinated or not) should “immediately self-isolate if any symptoms develop and contact the local public health authority or their health care provider to report this change in clinical status and determine if they should seek testing,” the DOH said.
Traveling internationally? The same rules apply for individuals who were exposed to COVID outside of the U.S. However, it’s best to check the travel rules for countries being visited.
