US sets shorter COVID-19 isolation rules for health workers

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. officials are loosening rules that call on health care workers to stay out of work for 10 days if they test positive for COVID-19. Those workers will be allowed to come back to work after seven days if they test negative and don’t have symptoms.

Isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing shortages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the revised guidelines on Thursday. Officials around the U.S. are worried that a new COVID-19 wave could overwhelm understaffed hospitals. The new rules are meant to quell that concern.