Via Geary County Emergency Services, Garry Berges, Tammy Von Busch
Geary County will continue with the 14-day quarantine until the current situation changes.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment recently issued guidance similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allowing counties to opt into the shortened quarantine period of either 10 or 7 days with testing or continue with the 14 days.
KDHE continues to recommend the 14-day quarantine and monitoring after being exposed to COVID-19,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “The incubation for this disease is still 14 days. The guidance is being changed at a federal level to encourage more people to get tested and encourage better compliance with quarantines.”
Geary County is currently working closely with Riley County, Pottawatomie County, and Ft. Riley to reach a consensus across the region on an acceptable quarantine period. Until Ft. Riley receives guidance from MEDCOM, the WildCat region will continue with a 14-day quarantine to avoid confusion for people who live or work in a different county. Additionally, before reducing the current quarantine length, Geary County should achieve stabilization or a reduction in new cases each day.
The CDC has stated that with the reduction to a 10-day quarantine, there is a 1 to 10% risk of post-quarantine transmission. With a reduction to 7 days, there is a 5 to 12% risk of post-quarantine transmission. Even with a reduced quarantine length, people will still be expected to wear masks and monitor for symptoms.
As a reminder, gatherings of larger than 100 are prohibited and special events require approval from the local health department at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Geary County Health Department at 785-762-5788.