The World Health Organization says there were nearly 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 reported in December. However, the California Department of Public Health is easing up on COVID-19 restrictions.
"Previously, individuals who tested positive for COVID were told they have to be isolated at home for a five-day period regardless of their symptoms,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County Health Officer.
Now, people who have COVID-19, feel well, have improving symptoms, and are fever-free for more than 24 hours may leave isolation while wearing a mask for 10 days.
“I think that's gone too much to the other extreme,” said Templeton resident Heidi Anticevich.
She says she knows what it's like to be sick with COVID-19 and quarantined for 10 days. She thinks these new guidelines are too relaxed.
“I feel that especially for compromised individuals, older people as I am, and people with lung issues or with different health conditions, that could even cause their death,” Anticevich said.
San Luis Obispo resident Connor Berger feels differently.
“I could imagine this is probably a solution that a lot of people are happy about,” Berger said.
Berger was a Cal Poly student when the pandemic began and says strict health regulations had a negative impact on his life.
“We went remote. I had a restaurant job right around the corner and I got fired,” Berger said. “You can't have the standardized four-day lockdown; it sounds like something you can't maintain for forever.”
Dr. Borenstein says the thought behind the new guidelines is that COVID-19 is more likely to be transferred when someone is experiencing symptoms.
“If the symptoms are decreasing and fever is gone without fever-reducing medication like ibuprofen or Tylenol, you can come out of isolation before the five days,” Borenstein said.
This new guideline change in California does not apply in healthcare settings and it is still recommended to mask up in high-risk settings.
“The idea of staying home… isolation should apply to all respiratory diseases; whether it's COVID, flu, or RSV,“ Borenstein added.
Borenstein says there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the county.
Although they can't count cases anymore since so many people take at-home tests, they watch local wastewater treatment systems for the level of COVID-19.