Yesterday, the County of San Diego updated its public health order to reflect new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which no longer recommends for individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 to be tested again to determine if they can stop isolating at home and return to work.
Those with COVID-19 who were directed to care for themselves at home can stop isolating under the following conditions:
People with mild to moderate symptoms – at least 10 days have passed since symptoms began, have not had a fever for 24 hours without taking fever reducing medications and other symptoms have resolved.
People with severe or critical illness or who are severely immunocompromised – at least 20 days have passed after symptoms developed and one day after fever resolution and improving symptoms.
People who are severely immunocompromised but have no symptoms – after 20 days since testing positive.
People who tested positive for COVID-19 but never developed symptoms – after 10 days since the date of their first diagnostic positive test.
The change is a result of the CDC learning more about COVID-19 as time goes on and more data becomes available. View the county’s updated health order specific to isolation of people with or likely to have COVID-19.
Update on outbreaks
Since Thursday, 10 new outbreaks have been confirmed. Four in a restaurant/bar, three in businesses, and the other three in a church, gym and food processing facility. In the past seven days, 13 community outbreaks were identified, still exceeding the trigger of seven.
The number of outbreaks in community settings has seen a big spike in July. Of the 120 COVID-19 outbreaks confirmed in community settings since the pandemic began, 59 have been reported in July. The total has surpassed the 34 that were reported in June and the 27 that were confirmed during the first three months of the pandemic.
Restaurants with bars make up most of the community outbreaks confirmed to date. The County Department of Environmental Health continues to work with restaurants to make sure they are following the public health guidelines. Below is a new chart from the county that provides a summary of all COVID-19 community outbreaks by industry sector.
