CDC Quietly Drops Mandatory 14-Day Quarantine After Traveling

With travel restrictions part of the new normal thanks to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed its recommendations for quarantine.

The CDC previously recommended travelers quarantine for 14 days after visiting overseas destinations or arriving in areas with a high number of confirmed coronavirus cases, but that changed Tuesday.

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According to the CDC’s official website, the mandatory quarantine portion of the order has been lifted, with travelers being advised to follow the same protocols people should be following on a daily basis anyway.

The CDC says that regardless of where tourists visit for the remainder of 2020, they should practice social distancing, wear a mask, wash their hands often and monitor for possible symptoms of coronavirus when they return home.

While the CDC said in the updated recommendations that travelers could pose a risk to the community for 14 days after they were unknowingly exposed to the virus, there is no longer an order for a two-week quarantine.

The agency still recommends travelers who visit areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases, attend large gatherings or sail on a cruise ship quarantine for 14 days and get tested for the virus.

Last month, The Bahamian government reversed an earlier decision to ban U.S. travelers, saying it will continue welcoming arrivals from all countries, provided the tourists follow proper health and safety protocols.

(H/T to Michelle Baran)