Department of Health has Issued Guidance for Employers Considering COVID-19 Testing Policy

September 10, 2020

The Department of Health strongly discourages employers from requiring their employees to test negative before returning to work after a confirmed COVID-19 infection. People with confirmed COVID-19 infection who are not hospitalized can return to work after:

• At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
• At least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and
• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving (Note: Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation)

People admitted to a hospital with COVID-19 may need to isolate up to 20 days since their symptoms first appeared. Testing an employee after recovery from COVID-19 is not generally recommended because recovered persons can “shed” evidence of the virus at very low levels and test positive for up to 3 months after illness onset. However, these individuals are not likely infectious to others.