Health authorities issue joint statement backing 14-day quarantine for those exposed to Covid-19.

By SARA VANDEN BERGE

The Centers for Disease Control continues to recommend that people who are closely exposed to Covid-19 quarantine for a 14-day period.

But the CDC has also given local health authorities the responsibility of establishing quarantine options for their jurisdictions, causing confusion among local businesses and employees.

On Thursday night, Erath County’s health authority Dr. Jeff Moore and Stephenville’s health authority Dr. Kelly Doggett issued a joint statement that a 14-day quarantine should remain in effect locally.

The statement reads:

“It is our opinion that due to the high positivity rate and increasing number of cases along with the strain on our local hospital that cases of CDC defined close exposure in Erath County should continue to quarantine for 14 days.

“There may be rare exception for a critically essential worker under extenuating circumstances.

“Dr. Joel Massey, Medical Director for Texas Department of State Health Services for our region, states DSHS is not currently recommending or endorsing shortening of quarantine using testing methods.

“We are in full agreement for this recommendation for Erath County, which is under the jurisdiction of Dr. Moore as a Local Health Authority.”

is not currently recommending or endorsing shortening of quarantine using testing methods.

“We are in full agreement for this recommendation for Erath County, which is under the jurisdiction of Dr. Moore as a Local Health Authority.”