(The Center Square) – Colorado's COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidance has been revised to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) updated guidance, the state's health department announced on Monday.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's (CDPHE) updated guidance requires individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 to isolate for five days now compared to the previous 10 days. If an individual remains asymptomatic on day five, the new guidance says they should wear a mask when around others for an additional five days.

"This change is based on data showing that the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness," the department said.

Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should take the same precautions, the CDC guidance says.

Health care workers who have received all the recommended vaccine doses "no longer need to be excluded from work after a higher-risk COVID-19 exposure" under the guidance. 

"Colorado has seen a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and high community transmission as the omicron variant becomes the prevalent virus circulating," CDPHE said in a statement. "Protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public, washing your hands, and testing before you gather with others."

According to the latest data from the agency, Colorado’s seven-day moving average for COVID-19 cases has increased to 3,327 over the past week. The state also has over an 18% positivity rate.