ST. LOUIS — The CDC went from recommending 14 days of isolation, to 10 to now five for infected people during the course of this now years-long pandemic.
St. Louis City's Department of Public Health Director Mati Hlatshwayo Davis recommends people to keep it at the 10-day mark, unless you get a negative test on the fifth day.
"There's been a total of 652 COVID-19 associated deaths in the City of St. Louis, this is absolutely a crisis," Hlatshwayo Davis said.
St. Louis City Department of Public Health Director breaks down the numbers from their updated seven-day snapshot, which included 390 new confirmed COVID cases and 139 new hospital admissions.
"There was a 33% positivity rate. The goal is 5% or lower," Hlatshwayo Davis said.
Those numbers reflect their data from December 26th 2021-January 1st and continue to put a strain on the health system.
"The current surge in new COVID-19 cases is presenting a record number of cases. The actual volume of cases though threatens to overwhelm our hospitals," Hlatshwayo Davis said.
For people infected with the virus, The Centers for Disease Control shortened isolation time to five days and if symptoms are resolved, followed by five days of wearing masks in public.
"For COVID-19 the first five days of exposure are crucial, very important as stated by the CDC who updated its guidance in the last two weeks," Hlatshwayo Davis said.
Dr. Hlatshwayo Davis urges people to stay at home longer unless they test negative on the fifth day.
"After I consulted local state and federal partners, the City of St Louis Department of Health currently recommends adhering to isolation periods of 10 days if you are unable to take an antigen test at day five," Hlatshwayo Davis said.
The 10-day isolation rule also applies to people who cannot wear a mask appropriately.
"We have focused on trying to make this as clear as possible for the public while prioritizing their safety," Hlatshwayo Davis said.
The City's Department of Health website charted out all the information on their updated isolation and quarantine guidelines.
It even includes what to do if you can't get access to an antigen test by the fifth day.