Close Contacts and Quarantine: COVID-19
On this page:
Setting-specific recommendations
Who does not need to quarantine
Who needs to quarantine
More information
You can spread COVID-19 to others starting a couple days before you have any symptoms, and even if you never have any symptoms. If you spend time close to someone with COVID-19, you may have it, too, but you may not know it. It is important to separate yourself from others when this happens, to keep from spreading the virus to others.
For more detailed guidance on isolation and quarantine, refer to CDC: Quarantine and Isolation. Use the CDC Quarantine and Isolation Calculator to determine how long you may need to stay home and away from others.
Exposure or close contact: Spending a total of 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period within 6 feet or less of people with COVID-19.
In the K–12 indoor classroom setting the close contact definition excludes students who were between 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and the exposed students correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time. This exception does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting. For more information about close contacts in schools, refer to Schools and Child Care COVID-19: Best Practice Recommendations.
Quarantine: Staying home and away from others when you may have had close contact with (exposure to) the virus.
Isolation: Staying home and away from others when you test positive, feel sick, or have symptoms of COVID-19.
Well-fitting mask: A mask that fits snugly over your nose, mouth, and chin, without gaps at the edges. Visit Masks: COVID-19 for more information.
Immunocompromised: A person with a weakened immune system. The immune system is how the body fights disease.
Setting-specific recommendations
These recommendations do not apply to certain high-risk settings. Refer to the following guidance on isolation or quarantine in health care settings or other high-risk group (congregate) settings:
- People who live or work in a health care or long-term care facility and are exposed to the COVID-19 virus should follow Health Care Worker Isolation and Quarantine Recommendations.
- People who live or work in group living and care facilities, such as a homeless shelter or correctional facility, and are exposed to the virus should follow Communities: Homeless service provider and jails and correctional settings.
- Businesses, facilities, or other private settings are encouraged to follow MDH and CDC guidance at a minimum but may choose to require longer isolation or quarantine periods.
Who does not need to quarantine
If you have had a close contact with someone with COVID-19, you do not need to quarantine if:
- You have completed ALL recommended vaccine doses, including any recommended booster doses. Refer to CDC: Stay Up to Date with Your Vaccines.
- You had COVID-19 in the past three months. Refer to CDC: COVID-19 Testing: What You Need to Know.
After exposure to the virus, you should still
- Wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days when around others, even at home. The 10 days start from the day after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19. The actual day of close contact is counted as day zero.
- Watch for symptoms for 10 days after close contact.
- If symptoms develop, stay home and away from others (isolate) and test immediately for COVID-19. Start counting again from day zero (day one is the first full day after your symptoms start) and follow isolation recommendations at If You Are Sick or Test Positive. This includes people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past three months, even if they are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
If you are up to date on vaccinations:
- Get tested at least five days after close contact. If you test positive, start counting again from day zero and follow isolation recommendations at If You Are Sick or Test Positive.
If you had COVID-19 in the past three months:
- You do not need to get tested at five days after close contact if you do not have symptoms.
Who needs to quarantine
If you have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, you need to quarantine if:
- You are not vaccinated.
- You are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. Refer to CDC: Stay Up to Date with Your Vaccines.
For people who need to quarantine:
- Stay at home for at least five full days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19. Refer to the special categories below, which have more specific information about how long you must quarantine.
- Count your last day of close contact with someone with COVID-19 as day zero.
- Day one starts the day after your last close contact.
- If possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home.
- Use a separate bathroom if you can.
- Avoid sharing personal household items (e.g., food, dishes, towels, or bedding).
- Avoid public transportation, ride-sharing (such as Uber or Lyft), or taxis.
Find the category below that describes you, for more quarantine information:
Count the day of your last contact with someone with COVID-19 as day zero:
- Wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days whenever you are around other people, even at home. Refer to CDC: Improve How Your Mask Protects You
- Stay home for five full days.
- Test on day five, if possible.
- If you test positive, start counting again from day zero and follow isolation recommendations at If You Are Sick or Test Positive.
- If you test negative, finish your full five days in quarantine.
- On days six through 10:
- Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk of severe disease and the settings where you may find these people.
- Avoid travel. If you must travel, wear a well-fitting mask.
- Avoid places where you need to remove your mask (e.g., gyms, restaurants).
- Continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others.
This includes people under age 2, people with certain disabilities, and others who cannot consistently wear a mask around others.
- Stay home and away from others for 10 days. Day one starts the day after your last contact with someone with COVID-19.
- Get tested on day five.
- If you test positive, start counting again from day zero and follow isolation recommendations at If You Are Sick or Test Positive.
- If you test negative, continue to quarantine for the full 10 days.
- If you develop symptoms, get tested and follow the guidance for isolation (linked in the previous bullet), starting from day zero.
If you live with someone with COVID-19 and are not up to date on recommended COVID-19 vaccines, stay home during the ill person's isolation period and then begin your quarantine period on the day that the ill person's isolation period ends. Count the last day of their isolation as day zero. Day one of your quarantine starts the day after their isolation period ends. Follow quarantine guidelines above for how long to stay home and away from others. People who are up to date on recommended COVID-19 vaccines including boosters when due do not need to stay home or quarantine, but should follow other guidance above for wearing masks, watching for symptoms, and testing.
If you are able to wear a well-fitting mask
If you are unable to wear a well-fitting mask
For more information on this guidance, visit CDC: Quarantine and Isolation.
More information
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 (PDF)
Updated 1/25/22- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Amharic (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Arabic (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Chinese (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in French (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Hmong (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Karen (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Lao (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Oromo (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Russian (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Somali (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Spanish (PDF)
- What to do if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19 in Vietnamese (PDF)
- Case Investigation and Contact Tracing: COVID-19
Explains the process public health uses to follow where the virus may be spreading in our communities to help slow the spread.