(Gloucester Township, NJ) – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has modified the definition of a close contact, effective Oct. 23, regarding the length of time associated with exposure and the time interval to assess the potential exposure that can result in COVID-19 transmission.
The CDC has modified the definition of a close contact to now include individuals who were within six feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more during a 24-hour period. The previous definition designated someone as a close contact after 10 consecutive minutes within six feet of an infected person.
The definition of a close contact is a critical factor used in contact tracing operations. For more information regarding this change and the CDC’s other recommendations regarding contact tracing during the pandemic, visit here.