Iowa changing quarantine guidelines

The Iowa Department of Public Health is now saying if you and the person who has Covid-19 were both wearing masks, you don't have to spend a half a month in quarantine.

It's one of the social norms of the of the coronavirus pandemic.

If you've been around someone who tested positive for covid?

"*19 ?

"* y be spending the next two weeks at home.

Now iowa's governor says you don't have to.

Kimt news three's nick kruszalnicki is live in mason city with what you need to know.

Nick?

Yes george and katie ?

"* the iowa department of public health is now saying if you and the person who has covid both are wearing masks.

You won't have to spend half a month in quarantine.

It's a decision designed to make life easier for our local schools.

"a common frustration that was expressed to me was around the guidelines for quarantining students and teachers who have been in contact with positive cases."

It's a policy change one school district is in favor of.

Dave versteeg, superintenden t of mason city public schools said 'we believe the new quarantine guidance will reduce the number of students and staff being quarantined for exposure.

With the district beginning to increase its in?

*- person learning on october 5th, today's new guidance reduces the need to be as concerned with social distancing as we would have been with the previous guidance.'

Doctor charity baker says the move makes sense.

"a lot of students were missing school on account of maybe being exposed to somebody, while they were wearing a mask.

I say if the masks work like the scientists say, then everyone needs to stay in school and stay at work."

In her expierence working with patients ?

"* doctr baker says she's been able to stay healthy ?

"* thanks to proper protective gear.

"all of our patients are required to wear them and i wear ppe both a mask and a shield at every visit.

So, i've had innumerable encounters with people with covid."

She notes it is important for people who are showing symptoms of covid?

"*19 to still isolate themselves to prevent the spread of the virus.

"it makes sense that we stay home when the superintenden t also said in his statement ?

"* the new guidance gives everyone that much more incentive to keep wearing their masks.

Live in mason city, nick kruszalnicki, kimt news 3.

Thank you nick.

Iowa's new guidelines go against what the centers for disease control and prevention has been recommending ?

"* which is two weeks quarantine after potential exposure to