Key workers in New York may, at the discretion of their employer, be allowed to return to work five days after a coronavirus-positive test, based on a new policy announced by Governor Kathy Hokul on Friday.
This move halves the time that such workers currently have to quarantine after a positive test result. Tens of thousands of people in the state have quit their jobs, and the number of cases of viruses associated with Omicron variants is skyrocketing.
This measure applies to workers who are fully vaccinated, have no runny nose or cough that interferes with wearing a mask, and have no fever for 72 hours. No tests are needed to get back to work, and employees must remain masked while at work. According to the new policy, if you are not working, you should isolate public places for 10 days and keep avoiding them.
On Friday, New York State reported 44,431 cases of the new virus out of about 360,000 tested. This is an increase of about 5,600 new cases per day, the highest number of days since the pandemic began.
Hochul’s decision was consistent with increased evidence that, although highly contagious, omicron variants often cause milder illnesses than Delta and other early viral variants.
Increasing cases are on the national health system as more people need care and infected hospital workers have to stay home to isolate themselves or take care of sick families. I am burdened.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended reducing the quarantine period for health care workers who test positive to 10 to 7 days if they are asymptomatic and negative before returning to work.
However, public health experts say that the working class of other important industries can quickly become severely depleted due to the combination of prevailing illness and isolation requirements.
Hochul clearly kept these warnings in mind when announcing her decision to reduce the quarantine period for critical workers, including a wide range of healthcare workers, teachers, garbage carriers, restaurant employees, and more. I left it. The outline of the new policy cites studies showing that vaccinated people have a short duration of infection.
At the press conference, she said at the press conference, “I want to make sure that I am truly grateful to the important workforce we have relied on from the beginning, and to them who are full of gratitude.” “You are the one we have survived the first few months of anxiety. We also need it. We need to be able to go to work.”
