Health officials on Wednesday urged Americans to stay home over the upcoming holiday season and consider getting tested for the coronavirus before and after if they decide to travel.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the best way to stay safe and protect others is to stay home.
That’s the same advice they had over Thanksgiving, but many Americans traveled anyway. With COVID-19 cases and deaths continuing to rise, the CDC added the testing option.
The CDC says even if few people became infected while traveling over Thanksgiving, that could still result in hundreds of thousands of new infections.
During a news briefing, the CDC said travelers should consider getting COVID-19 tests one to three days before their trips and again three to five days afterward. They also recommended reducing non-essential activities for a full week after travel or for 10 days if not tested afterward.
On Tuesday, an official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement, said the policy change has been discussed for some time, as scientists have studied the incubation period for the virus. The policy would hasten the return to normal activities by those deemed to be “close contacts” of those infected with the virus, which has infected more than 13.8 million Americans and killed at least 272,000.
While the CDC had said the incubation period for the virus was thought to extend to 14 days, most individuals became infectious and developed symptoms between four and five days after exposure.
It’s not the first time the CDC has adjusted its guidance for the novel coronavirus as it adjusted to new research. In July, the agency shortened, from 14 days to 10, its advice on how long a person should stay in isolation after they first experience COVID symptoms — provided they’re no longer sick.
The new guidance was presented Tuesday at a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting for final approval.
