What Counts as a ‘Close Contact’
A CDC change will hopefully curb confusion and limit loopholes
This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its definition of “close contact” with a person infected with Covid-19. It is now 15 minutes or more of cumulative exposure to infectious individuals, within six feet, in a 24-hour period regardless of masking and whether the contact was inside or outdoors.
A close contact was previously defined as 15 continuous minutes with someone who is infected. Places and people were finding ways to take advantage of that definition. For example, to avoid quarantining students, a school district in Montana came up with an idea to move students every 15 minutes. If the students are moved around within that time, the thinking followed, then no one would be considered a“close contact” and be required to stay home if a classmate tests positive for Covid-19, the New York Times reports.
The new recommendation from the CDC follows a recent case study of a correctional officer in Vermont thought to have caught the coronavirus via 22 brief encounters, within six feet of various infected inmates, all adding up to 17 minutes of exposure during an eight-hour shift, Robert Roy Britt reports. Here’s everything you should know about the change and what it means for staying safe from Covid-19.
