News

As expected, DC Health on Wednesday published even newer guidance on monitoring, restriction, and return to work for healthcare personnel (HCP). The guidance incorporates additional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance which modifies the isolation and quarantine periods for HCPs exposed or infected with COVID-19. This guidance updates the December 29 guidance we previously reported. 

You can read the entire guidance here.

Changes to the December 29 guidance include:

• Facilities looking to move to an alternate capacity strategy must email coronavirus.hai@dc.gov with justification for the move, and receive approval before shifting the staffing strategy.
• Facilities are not allowed to compel or coerce employees back to work if they have been isolated before they "feel well enough to do so".
• Facilities must also transition back to conventional capacity strategies once staffing shortages have been resolved.
  
• The restriction for work after exposure to COVID-19 now includes mRNA vaccinated individuals not boosted but having received their second shot less than 6 months ago, and J&J vaccinated individuals who were vaccinated less than 2 months prior.
• In a contingency capacity situation, boosted HCPs are strongly recommended but not "should" get tested upon exposure to COVID-19.
• In a crisis capacity situation, the guidance now says testing for HCPs who are not fully vaccinated and boosted may be waived if testing capacity is severely limited.
• DC Health also spells out how a symptom-based monitoring strategy for healthcare personnel would look based on the different capacity scenarios.