The CDC relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022 dropping the recommendation that people who are unvaccinated (or unboosted) quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. Quarantining at home for five days is not necessary, but it urges those people to wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested after five. These recommendations are now the same as vaccinated people.
The CDC guidance now states that people no longer need to stay at least 6 feet away from others. “Physical distance is just one component of how to protect yourself and others,” the guidance reads. “It is important to consider the risk in a particular setting, including local COVID-19 Community Levels and the important role of ventilation, when assessing the need to maintain physical distance.”
Also on Aug. 12, the Food and Drug Administration updated its recommendations for how many times people exposed to COVID-19 should test. Previously, the FDA had advised taking two rapid antigen tests over two or three days to rule out infection. Now the agency recommends three home tests to make sure you’re not infected. The new guidance applies to people without symptoms who think they may have been exposed. People with symptoms can continue using two tests spaced 48 hours apart.
CDC continues to recommend that people who test positive should isolate from others for at least five days, regardless of vaccination status. They advise that people can end isolation if they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication and they are without symptoms, or the symptoms are improving.
CDC also included updated guidance on how people can use testing to end their isolation after getting sick with COVID-19, recommending two negative tests 48 hours apart before going out in public again without a mask. The new guidance recommends people take their first test on day six of isolation if they’re fever-free, with a second rapid test 48 hours later.
CDC also dropped a “test-to-stay” recommendation, which said students exposed to COVID-19 could regularly test – instead of quarantining at home – to keep attending school. With no quarantine recommendation anymore, the testing option disappeared too.
Masks continue to be recommended only in areas where community transmission is deemed high, or if a person is considered at high risk of severe illness.
More information is available on the CDC website.
The following timely guidance was previously provided to members. At this time, this information is considered out of date. We are maintaining the information below for historical knowledge.
Face mask enforcement has become a worrisome issue for retailers with the latest order from the Governor requiring retailers to bar entry and refuse service to those not wearing a mask, unless they fall under one of the exemptions. You’ve asked Michigan Retailers Association a lot of questions, so we’ve compiled a list of FAQs after inquiring with the governor’s office and our federal partners on some of the conflicting guidance and laws.
For an updated chart with information on and links to all of the COVID-19 Executive Orders, Executive Directives and state department that remain in effect and impact retail including issuance dates, effective dates, previous executive order numbers and overviews click here. (Updated through 8/11/20.)
By June 1 or within two weeks of resuming in-person work, all Michigan businesses must develop and make available a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan. The plan must be consistent with recommendations in OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19. Employers must make this plan available to employees, labor unions and customers (via website, internal network or paper). To assist in the preparation of this document, MRA created an editable template members can use to develop their own plan. Click the button below and then once you’re on the page, click the orange download button. The draft plan was updated Dec. 23, 2020.
To see the previous version of the COVID-19 resources page containing updates from March – May 2020, click here.