Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced updated quarantine guidelines for New York State on Tuesday, aligning them with those of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Under the revised guidelines, individuals exposed to Covid-19 can end their quarantine after 10 days without a testing requirement, as long as no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period. After day 10 is reached, individuals must continue monitoring for symptoms through day 14. If any symptoms develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact their local health department or their health care provider to report this change and determine if they should seek testing.
Individuals should continue strict adherence to all recommended safe behaviors to stop the spread, the governor said, including wearing masks, socially distancing, and avoiding gatherings.
The move came as Suffolk County’s positive infection rate has hovered around 9 percent in recent days. The state announced on Tuesday that 1,212 of 13,620 Suffolk test results reported Monday were positive for Covid-19 infection, or 8.9 percent. The positive infection rate on Dec. 27 was 9.1 percent. The county’s seven-day average on Tuesday was 7.6 percent. More than 88,000 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the county, 758 of them in the Town of East Hampton as of Monday.
“As we approach the New Year and the end of the holiday season, all New Yorkers must remember one simple truth — celebrating smart stops shutdowns,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement issued on Tuesday. “While the holidays have always been synonymous with socialization, the data shows [the] vast majority of new cases are stemming from private gatherings. I understand not being able to join together with loved ones makes an already trying year more difficult, but it also means we control our own destiny. New York is leading the nation in quickly and efficiently administering the vaccine, so if we can continue that progress and the rest of us keep making smart decisions like avoiding gatherings, socially distancing, and wearing masks, we will finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel."