COVID-19 Families Required to Quarantine for a Month

Tennesseans are required to isolate themselves for nearly a month if someone in their household tests positive for COVID-19. The announcement was made by the state’s Department of Health in late August, according to NewsChannel 9.

If someone you live with tests positive for coronavirus in Tennessee, you are required to quarantine for at least 24 days, regardless of whether you test negative for COVID-19. Health officials said they updated all contact tracing to meet the mandatory 24-day requirement.

The requirement applies to cases when the person who tested positive for COVID-19 is not able to isolate themselves from members of their household or family. With over 220,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of October 17, Tennessee is in the country’s top 10 states with most coronavirus cases.

The state’s health officials hope that they can curb the spread of the virus by requiring families to quarantine for nearly a month.

When Will You be Released from Isolation?

Nearly a month after their initial announcement, the Tennessee Department of Health released guidelines for “Releasing Cases and Contacts from Isolation and Quarantine.” The guidelines require people to isolate themselves for at least 10 days after the onset of symptoms.

If there is a significant improvement in COVID-19 symptoms, and fever disappears for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, the patient can be released. The Department requires severely ill patients to be isolated for at least 20 days, while asymptomatic cases must quarantine for 10 days after the collection date.

However, if “lingering cough” persists, it should not prevent a person from being released from quarantine. Also, if a follow-up test is positive, a patient is not required to reenter isolation if they have been isolated for at least 10 days, and a minimum of 24 hours have passed since the resolution of symptoms.

If COVID-19 symptoms return after a patient has been released from isolation, the patient does not need to re-enter isolation unless they have not completed the minimum 10-day isolation requirement.

Isolation for Household Contacts After a Positive COVID-19 Test

The guidelines define a “household contact” as any individual who shares any living spaces with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Living spaces include living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas of a house.

The Department of Health requires family and household members to be quarantined for at least 14 days after the patient with COVID-19 has completed their 10-day isolation, regardless of whether the person with coronavirus is symptomatic or asymptomatic.

If members of a family or household manifest COVID-19 symptoms, including fever and respiratory problems, they become a case and must enter isolation and get tested to confirm or rule out coronavirus.

If a person who initially tested positive for COVID-19 can isolate themselves from others in their household, members of their family or household can be classified as “non-household contacts.” A family or household member can be considered a “non-household contact” if the person with a confirmed COVID-19 test:

• Is never in the same room with their family or household members;
• Does not share cups, dishes, plates, phones, and other objects with members of their family or household; and
• Has their own bathroom.

Despite strict quarantine measures in the COVID-19 era, life goes on, and accidents are bound to happen. If you were injured during the coronavirus pandemic or have questions about COVID-19 liability, contact our personal injury attorneys in Tennessee. Schedule a consultation with our lawyers at the Law Offices of Burch, Morrison, & Stewart by calling at (931) 954-1066.