Below is employer Screening and Exclusion Criteria issued from the NH Division of Health Services Bureau of Infectious Disease Control on August 27, 2020
Travel Guidance for Employers
- Do not permit non-essential international and out-of-state domestic business travel (e.g., conferences, meetings).
· Discourage personal international and domestic travel outside of the New England states.
· Discourage personal travel on cruise ships.
· Any persons traveling internationally (including Canada), on a cruise ship, or domestically outside of Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island for non-essential purposes must quarantine for 14 days after return. Occupational Medicine and businesses should screen staff for such travel before returning to work after vacation. Other New England-based domestic travel risks can be assessed by Occupational Medicine on a case-by-case basis.
“Essential travel” includes travel for personal safety, medical care, care of others, parental shared custody, for food, beverage or medication or for work. Employees who travel outside of the New England states for personal or leisure reasons cannot rely on this exemption.
Employee Illness and Risk Screening
- Facilities and businesses should ask screening questions to assess risk for COVID-19 every day before an employee is allowed to work:
Do you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher? Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:
-Fever, or feeling feverish;
-Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath;
-General body symptoms such as muscle aches, chills, and severe fatigue;
-Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, and
-Changes in a person’s sense of taste or smell.
Have you had close contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 in the prior 14 days? (Note: healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment should answer “no” because they are not considered to have a COVID19 exposure)
Have you traveled in the prior 14 days outside of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island for non-essential purposes?
Employee Exclusion
- Persons with any new or unexplained COVID-19 symptoms (even if only mild symptoms), those who report close contact with someone suspected or confirmed with COVID-19, or those reporting travel risk factors must not be allowed into the facility unless they are eligible for the exceptions outlined in this document:
- Symptomatic persons should be instructed to contact their health care provider to be tested for COVID-19 and must self-isolate at home.
If the person tests negative with an appropriate test to detect active COVID-19, they may return to work when symptoms improve and they are fever-free for at least 24 hours off fever-reducing medication. If the person had close contact with a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 or travel risk factors in the prior 14 days they must still complete their 14-day quarantine even if they test negative unless they meet the exceptions outlined below.
If the person tests positive or they are not tested, they must isolate at home until symptom-based criteria are met for discontinuation of isolation:
-At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first started, AND
-At least 24 hours have passed since last fever (off any fever-reducing medications), AND
-Symptoms have improved
- Asymptomatic persons reporting close contact with someone suspected or confirmed with COVID-19, or who report one of the travel-related risk factors must self-quarantine for 14 days from their last exposure or return from travel unless they meet the exceptions outlined below. Testing for COVID-19 does not allow a person to be released early from their 14 day quarantine.
Exceptions to Quarantine Requirements
Exceptions to quarantine requirements following close contact to someone suspected or confirmed with COVID19, or travel outside New England for non-essential purposes are not recommended and should not be standard practice. All efforts should be made to allow employees to work remotely during their quarantine period. Exceptions should only be made for employees that work in the critical infrastructure sectors listed below AND who are deemed essential to the functioning of the business. Essential critical infrastructure employees may be permitted to work during the quarantine period if all of the following criteria are met:
- The employee is not exhibiting any signs or symptoms of COVID-19;
- The employee is not a household contact to a confirmed case of COVID-19;
- The employee is deemed essential to the functioning of the business and substantial business impact would be experienced if the employee does not work in person;
- The employee cannot conduct essential functions remotely;
- There is no replacement personnel for the employee;
- The employee works in a critical infrastructure sector;
- The employee self-quarantines for all other purposes other than reporting to work;
- The employee wears a mask, maintains at least 6 feet of separation from other employees and customers, and participates in daily health screening while at work or other public locations as outlined in CDC guidance.
Healthcare workers must follow healthcare worker-specific guidance.
Specialized or technical workers who must come to New Hampshire from other locations to support critical infrastructure businesses are permitted to stay overnight in New Hampshire hotels without quarantining in their home state prior to arrival. They must follow the other guidance above pertaining to mask wearing and social distancing while at work and in public settings (e.g., transiting through their hotel, getting take-out food, etc.), and they must quarantine and stay out of public settings when not working.
