By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Health Department Director Karen Hammersmith noted that even though the new regulations from the CDC may allow you to get out of quarantine sooner if you get a negative test, you still have to wait for it to come back.
"If they test, they're more than likely going to have to do a send out test," Hammersmith said Friday. "If you do that at day 5, it's not going to be back at 24 hours. It may be back at 48 hours on that seventh day, but it's probably going to be more eight to ten."
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment clarified on Friday that if you get a test back and are symptom free, you can be removed from quarantine after seven full days, which is on day 8. If you do not get tested, you must go 10 full days without symptoms to be released on day 11.
"We're trying to work with the community," Hammersmith said. "We know that it's hard to keep your businesses going when somebody's off work for 14 days. It's hard to get a paycheck when you have no work for two weeks."
KDHE still recommends all exposed people should self-monitor for 14 days from exposure and contact healthcare provider if symptoms develop. The disease can still develop through day 14.