New Covid-19 regulation guidelines that reduce the isolation period for those who tested positive for the virus have raised serious concerns over the implications for public safety. 

State governments, schools, and healthcare facilities need to get on the same page about quarantine isolation and what is best for society. In order for isolation periods to be followed properly, they must be clear without as many questions being asked. Are five days too soon to come back to school or work? It seems like state and local facilities still haven’t decided. With a shortage of tests, staying home the extra days seems like the safer option.

Especially regarding the isolation period, the pandemic has been infiltrating society steadily since the start of 2020 and shows no signs of going away anytime soon. The impacts of the pandemic have been detrimental to the workforce and supply companies. 

At the start of the pandemic, quarantine for exposed people was fourteen days, then ten, and now Covid-positive people can exit quarantine after merely five days of isolation. This raises many questions about the safety of individuals.

Orchard Park business teacher, Mr. Loftus, voices his concerns over the new isolation period:  “I haven’t had a full class consistently all year because of all the new cases. It seems as if every time someone comes back another student is out sick. I worry bringing students back too soon may further complicate attendance because if a student is brought back too soon, they could infect others. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Public officials, schools, and even nurses in various facilities are struggling to adapt to the new rules and many are wary regarding the sudden change from five to ten days. The question everyone is asking is: Is it worth the risk to go back too soon?

“This pandemic has been going on for too long to take any more risks. My staff is already overwhelmed with COVID patients as well as much of my staff being in isolation as a result of the virus. Now there’s the idea that COVID-positive nurses can come and work with only COVID-positive patients. This is a whole new can of worms because there are different variants of the virus, and mixing cases could make this pandemic so much worse,” complained Dr. Tracie Bueller, an emergency care nurse at Mercy Hospital voices her concern over the new isolation period. 

The new isolation period, while it may allow staff back at work sooner, is worse than if someone were to isolate for the original minimum of ten days. 

Orchard Park Student, Jordan Joyce, displays her opinion on the new isolation period stating that, “When I had Covid last week, I came back after five days and went home sick again and didn’t come back until after ten days. Even though they say a person may not be contagious doesn’t mean they don’t still have symptoms and could get another person sick. From my experience, I felt it was too soon for me to come back and I should have just stayed home.”

The isolation period should be a set regulation decided on between states, the CDC, and local facilities to ease the public’s worries as well as provide the safety many people desire entering the workforce. Isolation longer can’t hurt any more than a global pandemic and should be enforced.