The St. Joseph Health Department and the CDC are reducing the number of days needed to quarantine from COVID-19.
St. Joseph Health Department spokeswoman Stephanie Malita says the biggest difference in going from 14 to 10 days, is the last four days of quarantine.
"Monitor for fever, cough, everything else you would be monitoring for during those ten days it's just that those last four days of quarantine, the original quarantine period, can be used to sort of reintroduce yourself back into regular activity."
There is a third option to get tested after the fifth day. Doing that means you can break quarantine after the seventh day.
Malita says though that the health department is still pushing for people to do the ten-day quarantine period
But quarantine is only one method recommended by the department to reduce the spread of the virus.
"But in addition to quarantine we want to use strategies like physical distancing, wearing masks, washing and sanitizing hands and surfaces that are frequently touched, stay home when there's any kind of illness, get a flu vaccine, and avoid group gatherings"
The department hopes that reducing the number of days needed to quarantine will help reduce the hardships felt by people needing to be in isolation.