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When to get tested & when it’s not necessary

August 31, 2021 – News

COVID-19 testing remains an important tool in slowing the spread of COVID-19. These are reasons to get tested:

  • You’re sick: If you’re feeling even mildly ill with new symptoms like fatigue, chills, cough, fever, or decreased sense of taste or smell, get tested.
  • You’ve traveled: If you’re a traveler arriving in Juneau, take a test at the airport, avoid indoor public areas and crowded locations until results are back, and return to the airport for a follow-up test in 3-5 days.
  • You’re a close contact: You’ve been within 6 feet of someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the person’s infectious period. A COVID-positive person is usually infectious starting two days before their test or before any symptoms that appear, whichever comes first.

If you fall into one of these categories, get a COVID-19 test by contacting your health provider, registering online here (or at bit.ly/registerCOVIDtest) to test at the CBJ’s drive-thru testing facility, or utilizing another testing option in Juneau. Travel-related testing is done at the Juneau International Airport through Capstone Clinic; do not test at the airport if you have symptoms.

If you do not fall into one of these categories, Public Health does not recommend you get a COVID-19 test. If you have spent time with someone (Person A) who’s a close contact of a COVID-positive individual, here’s what you can do:

If you are fully vaccinated:

  • You don’t need to quarantine or limit your interactions. If Person A eventually tests positive for COVID-19, you should get tested 3-5 days after exposure.

If you are not fully vaccinated:

  • You don’t have to immediately quarantine, but you should limit your interactions with others until you know whether Person A develops COVID-19. If Person A eventually tests positive for COVID-19, call the Juneau Public Health Center 465-3353 to talk about quarantine requirements and testing recommendations.

As an example, if your child is part of a quarantined classroom or if your child has been identified as a close contact within a school setting, the public health recommendation is for your child to test for COVID-19; it is not recommended that your entire family test.

For more information, email [email protected].