Nevada County Issues Self Isolation and Quarantine Orders

Today, April 7, 2020, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to protect vulnerable individuals and to help prevent the local healthcare system from being overwhelmed, the Nevada County Health Officer, Dr. Ken Cutler, has issued two new separate, but related orders:

The first order is for self-isolation of anyone diagnosed with or showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 within 14 days of being in close contact with a person who was diagnosed with COVID-19. Diagnosis can be made by a physician or a laboratory confirmation

The second order is for the self-quarantine of anyone exposed to an individual diagnosed with COVID-19.

• Self-isolation (diagnosed): individuals diagnosed with or likely to have COVID-19
• Self-quarantine (exposed): household contacts, intimate partners, caregivers and close contacts of persons with or likely to have COVID-19

“These new Orders on self-isolation and self-quarantine are critically important to the health and safety of our Nevada County community,” said Nevada County Public Health Officer, Dr. Ken Cutler. “California’s Stay-at-Home Order remains more important than ever. These new local Orders help clarify what residents need to do if they are diagnosed with or exposed to someone with COVID-19.”

Both self-isolation and self-quarantine mean staying at home. Do not go to work, school, or public areas; separate yourself from other people and animals in your home and avoid sharing household items.

Self-isolation (diagnosed)	Self-quarantine (exposed)
Required for anyone diagnosed with (either by a healthcare provider or with a laboratory test) or developing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 within 14 days of being in close contact with a person who had or was believed to have had COVID-19.	Required for anyone exposed to a person diagnosed with or likely to have COVID-19.
Must stay in isolation for at least 3 days (72 hours) with no fever (without use of fever reducing medications) and at least 3 days of improved respiratory symptoms (such as cough or shortness of breath) AND it has been at least 7 days since symptoms first appeared, whichever is longer.	Must stay in quarantine for 14 days from the last time you had contact with the ill person.
Notify anyone you’ve had close contact with while symptomatic and 48 hours before symptoms began to self-quarantine themselves.	Cannot leave your place of quarantine for all 14 days.
Only exception to leave self-isolation is to receive medical care. Call ahead before visiting your doctor so they know that you may have COVID-19.	Only exception to leave self-isolation is to receive medical care. Call ahead before visiting your doctor so they know that you may have COVID-19.
	If you develop even mild COVID-19 symptoms, you must self-isolate at home and away from others.

Find additional information on steps to take to self-isolate in:

Home Isolation Instructions for People with COVID-19 (PDF)

En Español: Instrucciones para Aislamiento en Domicilio Debido al Nuevo Coronavirus‐2019 (PDF)

Home Care Instructions for People with Respiratory Symptoms (PDF)

En Español: Instrucciones de Atención Domiciliaria para Personas con Síntomas Respiratorios (PDF)

Find additional information on steps to take to self-quarantine in:

Home Quarantine Instructions for Close Contacts of People with COVID-19 (PDF)

En Español: Guía de Cuarentena en Domicilio para Personas que Han Tenido Contacto Cercano con la Enfermedad del Coronavirus 2019 (PDF)

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, call your primary care physician before physically going to the doctor. If you do not have a primary care physician, please call 211 by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-833-DIAL211 to talk with a local call center representative. Call center representatives at 211 can help with all non-emergency and non-medical inquiries.

New Orders often create anxiety in the general public. Please know this is the predicted next step in our public health strategy to keep Nevada County healthy. These Orders are to give clarity to those who are ill and to all those who may have been exposed.

More Information on COVID-19 in Nevada County

For additional information on the statewide Stay-at-Home Order and recommendations to keep you and your family safer, please visit Nevada County’s coronavirus webpage at www.mynevadacounty.com/coronavirus