To continue drive-thru testing would come at a cost of $2 million a month to local taxpayers. In total, Wake County has spent $131 million dollars since the start of the testing program and, at times, was forced to supplement vendor staffing with county staffing. Outdoor COVID-19 testing is also extremely expensive, and keeping sites staffed eight hours a day, six days a week is a challenge. With free at-home tests, numerous community testing locations, and effective vaccine and treatment options easily available, Wake County Public Health made the decision to end our testing sites. ![]() While the county’s drive-thru testing has come to an end, its commitment to keeping our community safe and informed about the resources available to them is not. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our communities. CDC strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 5 and older and boosters for everyone 16 and older. COVID-19 vaccination decreases the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. A COVID-19 vaccine booster dose restores vaccine effectiveness against infection to 75%. and reflects the current science on when and for how long a person is maximally infectious.ĭata from South Africa and the United Kingdom demonstrate that vaccine effectiveness against infection for two doses of an mRNA vaccine is approximately 35%. Both updates come as the Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the U.S. Quarantine refers to the time following exposure to the virus or close contact with someone known to have COVID-19. Isolation for 5 days followed by wearing a well-fitting mask will minimize the risk of spreading the virus to others. ![]() Isolation relates to behavior after a confirmed infection. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.įor all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. Per CDC guidelines, if your test comes back positive and you had symptoms, you should stay home and isolate (avoid anyone in your household).įor people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.Īlternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure.
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