Toolkit - COVID-19 Close Contacts

Updated March 14, 2022

You are considered a close contact if you are within 6 feet of someone infected with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes over a 24 hour period. An infected person can spread COVID-19 48 hours before they have symptoms.

I’m a close contact and I don’t have symptoms. What should I do?
If you are a close contact and you don’t have symptoms, you will need to quarantine. Quarantine means staying home and away from others while you monitor for symptoms.

If you received your COVID-19 vaccine booster dose OR 2 doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the past 6 months OR 1 dose of the J&J vaccine within the past 2 months:

• Wear a mask around others for 10 days.
• Get a test on day 5. Click here to find a testing location near you.
+ If you develop symptoms, stay home and follow the guidance outlined in our Toolkit for Positive Cases.

If you are unvaccinated OR received 2 doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine more than 6 months ago (and no booster) OR 1 dose of the J&J vaccine more than 2 months ago (and no booster):

• Quarantine at home for 5 days, preferably in a separate room if you live with people. After that, continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
• If you can’t quarantine you must wear a mask for 10 days.
• Get a test on day 5. Click here to find a testing location near you.
+ If you develop symptoms, stay home and follow the guidance outlined in our Toolkit for Positive Cases.

Your quarantine period begins the day after you were last exposed.

If you share a household with other people, they can still leave the house while you are in quarantine. However, if you get sick, they will need to stay home.

▶ If you test positive for COVID-19 or develop COVID-19 symptoms, you will need to isolate. Isolating means staying home and away from others, except to seek medical care, because you are considered contagious. Check out our Toolkit for Positive Cases to learn more.

Need a letter excusing you from work while you quarantine? Contact your health care provider’s office to request a work exclusion letter.

Need assistance accessing something outside of your home while in quarantine? Contact the Community CarePort program offered by Cascade Pacific Action Alliance for support: 1-800-662-2499.

To determine when you can return to community activities and most workplaces, use the Washington State Department of Health's decision trees shown below:

Additional Resources

• Decision Tree for non-healthcare settings and the public: (English)
• Calculate your isolation and quarantine period: (English)

• What to do if you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19: (English), (Spanish), (Russian)

• What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with COVID-19: (English), (Spanish), (Russian)

• Recommended guidance for daily COVID-19 screening of employees and visitors: (English), (Spanish), (Russian)

• Answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 testing: (English)