By LILY TINOCO | Reporter
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced the end of its quarantine order for asymptomatic people who have been exposed to coronavirus. The order became effective Friday, April 15.
Asymptomatic close contacts—who are not living or working in a high-risk setting—are no longer required to quarantine, but they are asked to wear a “highly protective mask” when indoors or around others for a total of 10 days “after the last contact with a person infected with COVID-19,” and get tested within three to five days after their last exposure.
“If they test positive, they have to … follow the isolation requirements, which do mean that you can not be out and about exposing others,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during an April 14 media briefing. “At any point that symptoms develop, you’re no longer eligible to not quarantine.”
The rules are different for those who are unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated and live in high-risk settings—including those residing in healthcare facilities, shelters and correctional facilities. Exposed individuals in high-risk settings have to follow the existing quarantine order, which requires a minimum period of five days in quarantine and a negative test to exit quarantine after the fifth day, and the requirement to mask for the duration of the 10-day period.
The updated order also revised the definition of “close contact,” where an individual is considered exposed to coronavirus if they share the same indoor airspace with an infected person during their contagious period for at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
LA County previously focused on proximity, and considered an individual exposed if they were within six feet of an infected person for 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
“It didn’t really acknowledge the emerging science that this virus is airborne,” Ferrer said about the previous definition.
Ferrer also suggested Angelenos take precautions and get vaccinated ahead of spring travel and gatherings.
On Tuesday, March 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a second booster dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for individuals 50 years of age and older, at least four months after they received their first booster dose.
As of Thursday, April 14, over 18.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered to people across LA County. To date, 90.6% of Pacific Palisades and 90.8% of Palisades Highlands residents have gotten at least one shot, according to data from Public Health.
Angelenos are eligible to get vaccinated at county-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites. To find a vaccination site or make an appointment, visit vaccinateLAcounty.com.
As the Palisadian-Post went to print Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 had reached 2,853,706 across the county when factoring in Long Beach and Pasadena, with 31,872 deaths.
Pacific Palisades had reached 3,342 confirmed cases and 17 deaths Tuesday, with an additional 615 in Palisades Highlands and two deaths.
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