Attached please find two significantly updated NJDOH HCP
guidance documents based on recent updates made to the CDC guidance for isolation and
quarantine for healthcare workers:
We anticipate a change in language to further clarify this with use of the terminology "up-to-date with vaccines.” For HCP guidance, the “Boosted” category, does encompass HCP who have received the primary series but, due to timing, aren’t yet eligible to receive the booster, so under conventional strategies would not need to work restrict. If staffing permits, the facilities might want to include un-boosted HCP in the other category (“vaccinated or unvaccinated, even if within 90 days of prior infection”). If staffing does not permit, then they can continue to include these HCP in the first category (“Boosted”).
However, if the individuals did not receive the booster even
though they ARE eligible, then they would be in the “vaccinated or
unvaccinated, even if within 90 days of prior infection” category.
In coming days, we anticipate CDC updates to the healthcare infection prevention and control guidance to more closely align with the changes made for healthcare personnel. Until those updates are made on the CDC website, the currently posted guidance reflects the current recommendations regarding duration of isolation and quarantine for patients and residents. Updated isolation/quarantine guidance for the community is not intended to apply to healthcare settings.
Please be aware of the following updates and resources, as
applicable:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-risk-assesment-hcp.html
§ Healthcare workers with
COVID-19 who are asymptomatic can return to work after 7 days with a negative
test performed 48 hours prior to returning to work, and that isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing
shortages.
§ Healthcare workers who have received
all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including a booster, do not
need to quarantine at home following high-risk exposures.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/mitigating-staff-shortages.html
o “While residents have the
right to receive visitors at all times and make choices about aspects of their
life in the facility that are significant to them, there may be times when
the scope and severity of an outbreak warrants the health department to
intervene with the facility’s operations. We expect these situations to be extremely
rare and only occur after the facility has been working with the health
department to manage and prevent escalation of the outbreak. We also expect
that if the outbreak is severe enough to warrant pausing visitation, it would
also warrant a pause on accepting new admissions (as long as there is
adequate alternative access to care for hospital discharges).” (FAQ #6).
o
OSHA announced that it is withdrawing the healthcare ETS
issued on June 21, 2021, with the exception of the recordkeeping
requirements within the healthcare ETS, which remain in place under
a separate provision of the OSH Act. OSHA will continue to work expeditiously
toward a permanent standard finalizing the healthcare ETS.
As always, please continue to monitor the NJDOH COVID-19 and CDC websites for updates (https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_healthcare.shtml) (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/whats-new-all.html).
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