​​Why did the California Departmen​​t of Public Health (CDPH) update the COVID-19 outbreak definition for non-healthcare settings? 

CDPH has updated the outbreak definition f​​or non-healthcare settings based on epidemiological evidence that demonstrates a decrease in the incubation period for COVID-19 infection (average 3.4 days) and to align with similar changes to the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) outbreak definition for schools (PDF) and healthcare settings (PDF) and the CDPH outbreak definition for healthcare settings​. Please note that other regulations or guidance also apply in some settings when there is an outbreak COVID-19 and can be referenced in the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulation. 

Does the change to the COVID-19 outbreak definition also apply to healthcare settings?

This change applies specifically to non-healthcare settings. Please refer to AFL-23-09​ for more information. 

How does th​e CDPH define close contact in large indoor non-healthcare spaces​? 

"Close Contact" is defined as the following:

•  In indoor spaces 400,000 or fewer cubic feet per floor (such as home, clinic waiting room, airplane etc.), a close contact is defined as sharing the same indoor airspace for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three separate 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes) during a confirmed case's infectious period.

•  In large indoor spaces greater than 400,000 cubic feet per floor (such as open-floor-plan offices, warehouses, large retail stores, manufacturing, or food processing facilities), a close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of the confirmed case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the confirmed case's infectious period.​

Spaces that are separated by floor-to-ceiling walls (e.g., offices, suites, rooms, waiting areas, bathrooms, or break or eating areas that are separated by floor-to-ceiling walls) must be considered distinct indoor airspaces.

The above definition is used for several reasons. SARS-CoV-2 aerosols are generated and released by a person with COVID-19 through activities such as breathing, speaking, and coughing. These aerosols enter the air around the infected person and then spread out evenly throughout the air.

In indoor environments, exposure to SARS-CoV-2 aerosols can occur in two ways: 1) directly, through face-to-face interactions with a person with COVID-19 and 2) indirectly, by inhalation of aerosols that have spread out from the person with COVID-19 and accumulated in the air in a space.  Both types of exposures to SARS-CoV-2 aerosols can lead to infection and COVID-19.

The risk of infection from direct face-to-face interactions depends on the distance from the infected person, with the highest risk being within six feet. The risk of infection from exposure to aerosols that have accumulated in the air, however, depends on the size (volume) of the room and the levels of ventilation and air filtration as key factors amongst others.

In addition to the infection risk from face-to-face interactions in an indoor space, air quality models predict that spending 15 minutes anywhere in a 400,000 cubic ft indoor space or smaller with an infected person poses an infection risk from indirect exposure to aerosols that have accumulated in the air; the infection risk increases with duration of time spent in the space.

For larger indoor non-healthcare spaces greater than 400,000 cubic feet, the infection risk from exposure to aerosols that have accumulated in the air is expected to be less than ten percent even after 8 hours because of the large volume of air present. The infection risk in these large settings is thus mainly limited to direct, face-to-face exposure with the infected person.

What is the differe​​nce between direct and indirect exposure?

Direct, short-range exposure occurs when someone inhales SARS-CoV-2 aerosols during face-to-face interactions with a person with COVID-19. The infected person generates and releases aerosols through breathing, speaking, coughing, and sneezing. The concentration of the aerosols containing SARS-CoV-2 is highest close to the infected person and decreases as the aerosols disperse through the air, especially in larger spaces where there is sufficient air volume to dilute the aerosols that may accumulate.

Indirect, long-range exposure occurs when someone inhales SARS-CoV-2 aerosols that have traveled away from a person with COVID-19 and accumulated in the air in an indoor space. The aerosols tend to mix evenly throughout a space because of dilution and air mixing. Smaller spaces will tend to have higher concentrations of accumulated aerosols than larger spaces, because there is less air to dilute the aerosols in a smaller space.

For both direct and indirect exposures, the risk of infection depends on the duration of exposure, the amount of virus inhaled, the levels of ventilation and air filtration in the area, whether the infected person has symptoms, and whether the infected and exposed persons were wearing a respirator or face mask.

The risk of infection from direct exposure also depends on the distance from the infected person, with the highest risk being within six feet, although coughs and sneezes may travel further. The risk of infection from indirect exposure also depends on the size (volume) of the room.

Therefore, the risk of infection from indirect exposure is the about same for everyone in a smaller indoor space regardless of the distance from the infected person. This is because they are all exposed to about the same aerosol concentration after it mixes throughout the room. In a large indoor space, SARS-CoV-2 aerosols get diluted, and the risk of indirect exposures is lower.

How should healthcare facilities respond to a potential exposure when using the current close contact definition?

Healthcare facilities should continue to use the Centers f​or Diseas​e Control and Prevention (CDC) risk assessment framework to determine exposure risk for healthcare personnel (HCP) with potential occupational exposure to patients, residents, and visitors with COVID-19 in a health care setting. CDC provides add​itional considerations for assessing exposure risk for patients or residents exposed to HCP with COVID-19 in a health care setting.

CDPH guidance for assessing community-related exposures should be applied to HCP with potential exposures outside of work (e.g., household), HCP exposed to each other while working in non-patient care areas (e.g., administrative offices), and for patients/residents exposed to other patients/residents or visitors in health care and non-patient care areas (e.g., waiting rooms, dining areas). Health care facilities should prioritize identifying and responding to such contacts based on their proximity to the case and the duration or intensity of the exposure, as described above, and the contact's risk of severe ill​ness or death from infection. 

Why did CDPH update the infectious period definition and include a confirmed case definition?

The updated definition of infectious period is intended to align with recent updates to isolation recommendations and CDC guidance.  As such, isolation guidance is now based on the recovery of the confirmed case and/or infectious person and removes the emphasis on negative testing to end isolation prior to day 10. CDPH also included a new definition of confirmed case for consistency across all CDPH guidance. Please see CDPH Isolation and Quarantine guidance for more guidance and updated changes.​ 

Why did CDPH remove Mega Events, K-12 Schools, and Child Care settings within the State Public Health Officer Order?

CDPH removed provisions related to requirements in Mega Events and K-12 Schools and Child Care to reflect that the current guidance and recommendations for these settings no longer include requirements. ​

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​Originally published on October 12, 2022​​​​
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