State health officials update COVID guidance to follow CDC changes

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Friday said it will change its COVID-19 recommendations for individuals and the general public to follow recent changes outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The guidelines do not change the recommendations for congregate settings, or early childcare or K-12 settings, but pertain to quarantines and isolation for individuals and households exposed to the virus.

The CDC on Wednesday issued new guidance that called for asymptomatic Americans who catch the coronavirus to isolate for five instead of 10 days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine. On Wednesday, state health officials had said they would review the recommendation before making any decisions on whether to follow the CDC change.

"These most recent updates to the quarantine and isolation guidelines are a reflection on our progress as we learn more about COVID – but we are not in the clear as variants like omicron continue to create new challenges in the fight to end this pandemic," Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive, said in a Friday statement.

"Continue to wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth, test and social distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, avoid large gatherings and get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already.” 

Michigan data shows the unvaccinated have 4.3 times the risk of testing positive for COVID-19 and 12.2 times risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to people who are fully vaccinated, the health department said, urging Michiganians who have not be vaccinated to start the process.

Michigan on Wednesday recorded its highest daily confirmed case rate since the pandemic began, adding 25,858 over two days and 338 deaths from the virus.