Quarantine, Get Tested Only If Symptomatic

Health Department Issues

Post-Holiday COVID PSA

COOPERSTOWN – With many concerned that they were exposed to COVID-19 during holiday gatherings, The Otsego County Department of Health has issued a public service announcement to instruct people on what to do in the event they learn they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus.

“Please do not call the on call nurse,” the release reads. “The department is very busy following up on positive cases.”

However, if a friend or family member notifies you that they have tested positive, the health department advises you to do the following:

1.) Stay at home. Quarantine yourself. Do not go to work.

2) If you are not having symptoms you should not rush to get a test. Testing too early after
exposure can give you negative results. Even if you test negative you still need to quarantine. Having a negative test in the first 10 days after exposure does NOT get you out of quarantine.

3) If the positive person you were exposed to resides in NYS and identifies you as a contact, you will be notified by a NYS contact tracer or the local department of Health. This process may take up to 7 days. While you are waiting for a call you should remain home on quarantine.

4) If the positive person you were exposed to resides outside of NYS and you need quarantine paperwork to remain out of work, you can contact your local department of health during normal business hours.

5) If you become symptomatic you should contact your primary care provider and get tested. The most important thing to remember is to stay home and limit your contact to others if you have been exposed to COVID or you are having symptoms.