COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Director of Health, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff announced on Thursday that the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has aligned with the CDC's recently updated quarantine and isolation guidelines.

Dr. Vanderhoff seconds the CDC's statement that the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, usually one to two days prior to symptom onset and two to three days after symptoms begin.

"The CDC's updated quarantine and isolation guidance takes the latest science and evidence into consideration with a focus on testing, masking and symptom monitoring, similar to Ohio's reduced quarantine guidelines in the state's 'mask-to-stay test-to-play' guidance," Vanderhoff said.

ODH has released a flow chart based on the CDC's updated guidance following exposure to someone with COVID-19. Regardless of symptoms or vaccination status, anyone who tests positive must isolate for five days.

However, if symptoms are improving, isolation may end on the sixth day following either symptom onset or positive COVID-19 test if the person continuously wears a mask for the next five days.

ODH has also updated K-12 school quarantine guidelines including "mask-to stay, test-to-play" timelines accordingly.