Alerts:  Nov. 12, 2024: Pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak confirmed in Spokane County. SRHD urges parents and pregnant people to vaccinate. Read the press release.

COVID-19 Alert for Healthcare Providers - March 24, 2021

COVID-19: Updated Guidance for Long Term Care Facilities and Fully Vaccinated Healthcare Workers

Posted March 24, 2021. Past health advisories and alerts are archived for historical purposes and are not maintained or updated.


1. Updated Safe Start Guidance for Long Term Care Facilities:

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the Department of Health (DOH) phased safe start plan for licensed and certified long-term care facilities and agencies (including supported living services) is now available.

Please review the complete Safe Start For Long Term Care Recommendations & Requirements document (dated 3/19/21) here: Safe Start for Long Term Care Recommendations and Requirements: Nursing Homes and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

2. Update Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Healthcare Workers:1

Vaccinated Healthcare Workers with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine); and
  • Are within 3 months following receipt of the last dose in the series; and
  • Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure; and
  • Are not inpatients or residents in a healthcare setting.

NOTE:

  • Fully vaccinated people who do not quarantine should still watch for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days following an exposure.
  • If symptoms develop, seek health care for COVID-19, including SARS-CoV-2 testing, if indicated.
  • Continue to follow all travel, masking, and physical distancing recommendations.
  • Vaccinated inpatients and residents in a healthcare setting should continue to quarantine following an exposure.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-after-vaccination.html