Construction Knowledge Series: What is COVID "Close Contact"?

COVID-19 “Close Contact” is defined by the CDC as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onsite (Definition as of 11/18/2020).

Understanding this definition is important for both employers and employees. I have a client with an employee who tested positive for COVID. The GC asked his other employees if they had been in close contact with the infected employee and they said yes. When given the CDC definition of close contact, they realized that while they had intermittently worked near the infected employee, they did not have enough proximity to each other to meet the CDC guidelines. As a result of not understanding the CDC definition of close contact, those employees were kicked off the jobsite and my client lost employees to quarantine that he should not have. This had negative impacts to the project and his business. Please learn from this and work to prevent it from happening to you and your employees.

Please follow COVID-19 protocols, wear a mask and social distance by 6 feet. To learn more, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/public-health-recommendations.html