[Updated to reflect guidance issued on January 14, 2022 – What Employers and Workers Need to Know About COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine]

On January 6, 2022, Cal/OSHA issued updated FAQs to incorporate new isolation and quarantine recommendations from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which were also issued on January 6.

Until January 14, 2022, California employers subject to the ETS must follow the isolation and quarantine requirements set by the June 17, 2021 ETS.

As set forth in Cal/OSHA’s FAQs, on January 14, 2022, the CDPH’s recommendations set forth on January 6, 2022 will replace exclusion period and return to work requirements for all workers, and the following isolation and quarantine rules will apply to employers:

Exclusion requirements for employees who test positive for COVID-19 (isolation)

Any employees who test positive for COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status, lack of symptoms or prior infections) must:

  • Be excluded from the workplace for at least 5 days
  • Isolation can end and employees may return to the workplace after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving, and a diagnostic specimen (antigen test preferred) collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
  • If an employee is unable or chooses not to test and their symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end and the employee may return to the workplace after day 10.
  • If an employee has a fever, isolation must continue and the employee may not return to work until the fever resolves.
  • If an employee’s symptoms other than fever are not resolving, they may not return to work until their symptoms are resolving or until after day 10 from the positive test.
  • Employees must wear face coverings around others for a total of 10 days after the positive test, especially in indoor settings.

Quarantine requirements for employees who are exposed to COVID-19 (quarantine)

Any employees who are unvaccinated (including those previously infected within the last 90 days) or who have been vaccinated and are booster-eligible but have not yet received their booster dose must:

  • Be excluded from the workplace for at least 5 days after their last close contact with a person who has COVID-19.
  • Exposed employees must test on day 5.
  • Quarantine can end and exposed employees may return to the workplace after day 5 if symptoms are not present and a diagnostic specimen collected on day 5 or later tests negative.
  • If an employee is unable or chooses not to test and does not have symptoms, quarantine can end, and the employee may return to the workplace after day 10.
  • Employees must wear face coverings around others for a total of 10 days after exposure, especially in indoor settings.
  • If an exposed employee tests positive for COVID-19, they must follow the isolation requirements above.
  • If an exposed employee develops symptoms, they must be excluded pending the results of a test.

However, exposed employees who are vaccinated and booster-eligible but have not received their booster yet and who are asymptomatic do not need to be excluded from work if:

  1. The employee receives a negative diagnostic test obtained within 3 to 5 days after last exposure to a case;
  2. The employee wears a face covering around others for a total of 10 days after exposure; and
  3. Employee continues to have no symptoms.

Employees who are exposed to COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if:

  1. The employees are boosted, or vaccinated, but not yet booster-eligible
  2. Must test on day 5 after exposure with a negative result. If employee cannot be tested, as of January 14, 2022, the employee does not have to quarantine but must wear a face covering and maintain six feet of distance from others for 14 days following the close contact.
  3. Wear face coverings around other for 10 days after exposure, especially in indoor settings.
  4. However, if the employee tests positive, they must follow the isolation recommendations above, and if the employee develops symptoms, they must be excluded pending the results of a test.