Pandemic Information

Covid-19 Self Isolation and Exposure Requirements

NEW COVID-19 TREATMENT HOTLINE: Tested positive for COVID-19? Telehealth is a quick and free way to see if you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatment. You can access telehealth services by calling 833-273-6330 or by completing an online assessment at mass.gov/CovidTelehealth. Clinicians are available every day from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM EST. This service is not for medical emergencies or those who have severe chest pain or shortness of breath. Learn more here.

On August 15, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health updated Covid-19 guidance regarding isolation and exposure periods for the general population.   The Town of Randolph Public Health Department and Board of Health have adopted the updated guidance.  

If you test positive for Covid-19, (either a rapid antigen home test or PCR test) stay home and isolate for at least the first 5 days; (you are probably most infectious during these 5 days).  If you never had symptoms or symptoms are improving,* you may end your isolation on day 6.  Wear a mask around others for 5 days (including in the household). You may remove your mask prior to day 11, if you have had two negative rapid antigen home tests taken 48 hours apart.

Below, you will find a summary of the Self-Isolation and Exposure Requirements.  Further details can be found at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-isolation-and-exposure-guidance-for-the-general-public.  

                                   If You Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)

1. Stay home for 5 days.
2. If you have no symptoms after 5 days, you can leave your house.
3. Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
4. If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.

               Note:  Anyone that tests positive must isolate, regardless of vaccination status.

If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 

If you were exposed and develop symptoms, isolate and take a test and stay home until you know the result. 

1. If the result is positive, follow isolation protocols. 
2. If your test is negative or if you have remained asymptomatic, take a test on day 6.

A person who tests positive for COVID-19 must stay away from other people.  This is called Self Isolating or Self Isolation. You are required to self-isolate (separate yourself) from other people for at least five, (five) days.  If you have a fever, continue to isolate until it is gone.  Continue to wear a face covering for an additional 5 days after coming out of isolation.

Note: If you have or develop symptoms, continue to stay home, until you have not had a fever for 24-hours without the use of fever reducing medicine and your other symptoms are improving. If you were severely ill (were hospitalized) or have a weakened immune system, you should consult your healthcare provider before leaving isolation. 

Below, you will find common examples of what you cannot do while you are in isolation:

1. You cannot leave your apartment or home for any reason.
2. You cannot go food shopping.
3. You cannot go to work.
4. You cannot leave your apartment to do laundry.
5. You cannot go out to eat in a restaurant.
6. You cannot drive in a car with other people.
7. You cannot go to church.
8. You cannot have visitors in your home or apartment.
9. You cannot be vaccinated until symptom free and you have been released from Isolation.

Common Questions & Answers

If I am vaccinated and I test positive, do I still need to isolate?

Yes.  A vaccinated person, including a person who is boosted, who tests positive must isolate.  Note: vaccination will not make you test positive for COVID-19.

How do I get food or fill prescriptions at the house if I am in Isolation?

You may order food delivered or prescriptions delivered to your apartment or home. Do not interact with the delivery person.   If you need help in getting food, contact the Randolph Health Department.

I live in an apartment building with a common laundry room, how do I do the laundry if I am in Isolation?

You cannot leave your apartment to do laundry in the common laundry room.

How does Covid-19 spread in my apartment or home?

COVID-19 spreads between people who are in close contact through respiratory droplets, created when someone talks, coughs or sneezes. If you are Covid-19 positive, stay away from others helps stop the spread of COVID-19.

How do I take care of my Pet if I am Covid-19 positive?

Limit your contact between the person who is sick and their pet(s) when possible.  Ask a friend of family member to take care of your pet until you recover.

What If I need help because I cannot go to work?

Contact the Randolph Public Health Department to learn about resources that may be available for you to safely isolate at home or in your apartment.

When can I get vaccinated after being positive?

You may get vaccinated for Covid-19 when you recover and are released from Isolation.

How do I set up a Sick Room in my house or apartment to keep other people safe from Covid-19?

Have the person who is sick use a separate bedroom and bathroom and have the person who is sick stay in their own “sick room”

1. Sleep separately. Make sure the infected person has a separate bed or separate area of the home to sleep in, away from all the other people living in the household. Do not share a bed with anyone else in the home.
2. Physical distancing. Maintain physical distance from the other members of the household, so that you do not risk getting anyone else sick. The person who has COVID-19 must wear a face covering or mask at home when around anyone else. Caregivers and other members of the household must also wear face coverings in the home when around the infected person.
3. Clean the bathroom after every use. Each time after using the bathroom, the person who is sick must clean and wipe down all areas with a household disinfectant. If the person who is sick cannot clean up, others in the home must wait as long as possible after the infected person has used the bathroom, put on a mask, and then go in and clean up before using it themselves.
4. Wash your hands. Maintain really good hand hygiene by washing your hands frequently using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap is not available, you can use waterless hand sanitizer.
5. Eat and cook alone. Make sure the person who is sick drinks a lot of fluids and rests. If you are preparing your own food, do it on your own, away from others living in the home and at a time when others are not in the kitchen. When you eat your meals you should eat by yourself as well. Clean and disinfect any areas you came into contact with when finished. Wash dishes and utensils using gloves and hot water: Handle any dishes, cups/glasses, or silverware used by the person who is sick with gloves. Wash them with soap and hot water or in a dishwasher.
6. Ventilation. Open the window to increase air circulation. In the sleeping area of the Covid-19 positive person, keep a window open and use a fan pointing to the open window to draw air out of the bedroom and into the open environment. This will help stop aerosolized virus from leaving the “sick room” and entering the space occupied by other people in the dwelling that are not sick. Make sure all rooms have good air flow. Improving ventilation helps remove respiratory droplets from the air.
7. No visitors to the sick room. Only caregivers can enter the “sick room.”  No visitors.

If you have any questions, please contact the Randolph Public Health Department office at (781) 961-0924 or by email at gcody@randolph-ma.gov. 

Gerard F. Cody, REHS/RS               

Public Health Commissioner