COVID-19 Patients and Contacts

• If you tested positive for COVID-19​

• If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19

• If you work or live in a high-risk setting

These guidelines are for the general public and not healthcare workers, who have their own isolation and quarantine guidance. K-12 students should also check with their schools about requirements for returning to school, since State guidance may differ for students. Teachers and school employees should follow State guidance on isolation and quarantine for the general public, as listed below.

If you tested positive for COVID-19:

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Self-Isolation Instructions for Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

People with a positive COVID-19 test result need to isolate:

• Stay home for at least 5 days

  • If you do not have symptoms or symptoms are improving: isolation can end after day 5 if you test negative on day 5 or later (antigen test preferred)

  • If you do not get tested and do not have symptoms or your symptoms are improving: isolation can end after day 10

  • If you have a fever: isolation should be continued until fever resolves

  • If you have symptoms (other than a fever) that are not resolving: continue to isolate until your symptoms are resolving or until after day 10

• Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days, especially indoors

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After you test positive, you will receive a virtual automated survey from Contra Costa Health Services asking for information, such as places you’ve been or people you’ve spent time with. The survey will offer you an option to enroll in a text message virtual assistant program that will check on you and provide resources during your isolation. In some cases, you may be contacted by our contact tracing team if you were at school, work or in a congregate-care facility while infectious.

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If the person with COVID-19 cannot isolate (stay away) fully from other household members, everyone in the home’s quarantine begins the day after the person with COVID-19’s isolation period ends.

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Click below for self-isolation instructions in your language:

• English

• Spanish

• Chinese Simplified

• Chinese Traditional

• Dari

• Farsi

• Lao

• Portuguese

• Punjabi

• Russian

• Tagalog

• Vietnamese

If you have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19:

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​For the General Public​

If You Don't Have Symptoms

​You do not need to quarantine at home, but you should:

• Take a test 3-5 days after you were exposed

• Wear a mask when around others for 10 days

• Stay home and isolate for up to 10 days if symptoms develop or you test positive

If You Have Symptoms

• Isolate at home and get tested as soon as possible to determine infection status

• Stay in isolation while waiting for test results

• Consider continuing self-isolation and retesting in 1-2 days if you test negative with a rapid antigen (home) test, particularly if you tested negative during the first 1-2 days of symptoms

• If you test positive, continue isolating at home for up to 10 days

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People who tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days do not need to get tested or stay home (quarantine) unless they start to feel sick. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are more likely to become infected due to being unvaccinated or immunocompromised consider quarantining or limiting your exposure to others, especially people who are at high risk for severe COVID-19.

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Click the links below for quarantine instructions:

• English

• Spanish
  
   

If You Work or Live in a High-Risk Setting:

If you have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19 and you live or work in a high-risk setting, you may need to quarantine. High-risk settings include emergency shelters, cooling and heating centers, healthcare settings (applies to all healthcare settings not covered by AFL 21.08.8), correctional facilities and detention centers, homeless shelters, long-term care settings, and adult and senior care facilities.

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Vaccinated and boosted staff and residents:

You do not need to stay home (quarantine) but should test right away and again 3-5 days after exposure.

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Staff who are not up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations or who haven’t been infected within the prior 90 days:

• Stay home from work for at least 5 days

  • If you do not have symptoms or symptoms are improving: isolation can end after day 5 if you test negative on day 5 or later

  • If you do not get tested and do not have symptoms or your symptoms are improving: isolation can end after day 10

  • If you have a fever: isolation should be continued until fever resolves

  • If you have symptoms (other than a fever) that are not resolving: continue to isolate until your symptoms are resolving or until after day 10

• If symptoms develop, stay home and test right away

• Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days, especially indoors

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Residents who are not up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations or who haven’t been infected within the prior 90 days:

• Quarantine for at least 5 days

  • If you do not have symptoms or symptoms are improving: isolation can end after day 5 if you test negative on day 5 or later

  • If you do not get tested and do not have symptoms or your symptoms are improving: isolation can end after day 10

  • If you have a fever: isolation should be continued until fever resolves

  • If you have symptoms (other than a fever) that are not resolving: continue to isolate until your symptoms are resolving or until after day 10

• If symptoms develop, stay home and test right away

• Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days, especially indoors

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