Recommended public health strategies |
Individual- and household-level strategies |
Community-level strategies (at state or local level) |
Links to guidance |
Universal use of face masks |
Consistent and correct use of face masks, including within the household if there is a COVID-19 case or a person with a known or possible exposure in the household |
Issue policies or directives mandating universal use of face masks in indoor (nonhousehold) settings |
Considerations for wearing masks: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html |
Plan for provision of face masks for specific populations if needed |
Caring for someone sick at home, when to wear a mask or gloves: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/care-for-someone.html#face-covering |
Protect your home: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/protect-your-home.html |
Physical distancing and limiting contacts |
Maintain physical distance (≥6 feet) from other persons when possible, and limit number of contacts with persons outside the immediate household |
Physical barriers and visual reminders might promote adherence to maintaining physical distance |
Social distancing: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/social-distancing.html |
Personal and social activities: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/personal-social-activities.html |
Avoid nonessential indoor spaces and crowded outdoor settings |
Avoid nonessential indoor spaces and crowded outdoor settings |
Issue policies or directives restricting some nonessential indoor spaces that pose the highest risk for transmission |
Daily activities and going out: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/going-out.html |
Promoting flexible worksites (e.g., telework); apply limits to occupancy of indoor spaces and to the size of social gatherings |
Considerations for events and gatherings: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html |
Increased testing, diagnosis, and isolation |
Persons with a known exposure to someone with COVID-19, with possible exposure, or who experience symptoms should promptly seek testing; symptomatic or infected persons should isolate promptly; exposed persons should quarantine |
Increase access to testing, including expanded screening testing of prioritized persons/groups, prioritizing those with many interactions (or interactions with persons at high risk) based on their occupational or residential setting |
Testing: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/index.html |
Expanded screening testing: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/open-america/expanded-screening-testing.html |
Promptly report test results to the person tested and to public health authorities |
Isolate if you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/isolation.html |
Guidance for health departments about COVID-19 testing in the community: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/open-america/testing.html |
Prompt case investigation and contact tracing to identify, quarantine, and test close contacts |
Persons with diagnosed COVID-19 should provide names of known contacts; close contacts should anticipate a call from the health department, answer the call, adhere to quarantine, seek testing, and encourage their household members to quarantine |
When incidence is high and overwhelms capacity, prioritize case investigation and contact tracing to promptly quarantine and test close contacts, based on time since sample collection and risk for spread to others (e.g., those working in high-density settings) |
When to quarantine: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html |
Contact tracing (your health): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/contact-tracing.html |
Contact tracing (health departments): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/open-america/contact-tracing/index.html |
Prioritizing case investigation and contact tracing: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/prioritization.html |
Quarantine: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/scientific-brief-options-to-reduce-quarantine.html |
Safeguarding persons most at risk for severe illness or death |
Persons with underlying medical conditions or risk factors that place them at increased risk for severe illness or death should minimize contact with nonhousehold members and nonessential indoor spaces |
Protect persons most at risk for severe illness or death through 1) identifying populations at high risk in the community and 2) expanding access to testing, provision of support services, and messaging |
People at increased risk: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html |
Protecting essential workers |
Essential workers should employ all available public health strategies to reduce their risk (e.g., wear face masks and keep physical distance) |
Protect essential workers through policies directing administrative and structural prevention as well as expanded testing |
Essential services and critical infrastructure: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/workplaces-businesses/essential-services.html |
COVID-19 critical infrastructure sector response planning: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/critical-infrastructure-sectors.html |
CISA guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce: https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforce |
Postponing travel |
Travel should be postponed. Those who choose to travel internationally should be tested with a viral test 1–3 days before departure and retested 3–5 days after arrival; domestic travelers should also consider getting tested |
Issue policies or directives mandating universal use of face masks on all modes of public transportation |
Travel: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html |
Travelers should stay home or reduce nonessential activities before and after travel and be diligent about mask wearing, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and symptom monitoring |
When not to travel: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/when-to-delay-travel.html |
Wear face masks on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-transportation.html |
Mask and travel guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/masks/mask-travel-guidance.html |
Domestic travel: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html |
Testing and international air travel: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-air-travel.html |
Increased room air ventilation, enhanced hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfection |
Increase room air ventilation |
Enhance ventilation and cleaning and disinfection, particularly of essential indoor spaces |
SARS-CoV-2 and potential airborne transmission: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/scientific-brief-sars-cov-2.html |
Frequent handwashing |
Ensure provision of adequate hand sanitation supplies |
Ventilation: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/general-business-faq.html#Ventilation |
When and how to wash your hands: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html |
Cleaning and disinfecting: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/clean-disinfect/index.html |
Widespread availability and coverage with effective vaccines |
Seek vaccine when appropriate following ACIP recommendations |
Plan for distribution and administration of vaccines to achieve high community coverage |
Vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html |
Continue to follow all mitigation measures until community vaccination coverage is adequate |
Communicate that mitigation measures still need to be followed until community vaccination coverage is determined to be adequate |
Vaccination planning: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/planning/index.html |