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Fully vaccinated Ohioans no longer required to quarantine if exposed to COVID-19, DeWine says

The updated health order will allow fully vaccinated students to participate in sports without worrying about having to quarantine.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine if exposed to someone with COVID-19, Governor Mike DeWine announced Tuesday.

The updated health order will allow people who are vaccinated to continue daily activities without having to put plans on hold due to a possible exposure to the virus. 

"By changing our health order, students 16 and 17 years old who are vaccinated will be able to participate in sports and other activities, even when they have been exposed to someone with COVID," Gov. DeWine tweeted Tuesday. 

DeWine added the change will also apply to adults, with the exception of those living in nursing homes and other congregate settings considered high-risk.

The announcement aligns with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying Americans who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 but are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine or get tested. 

It also comes on the heels of updated guidance from the CDC, which allows Americans to go outside without a mask as long as they are not in a large crowd of strangers. 

A person is considered fully vaccinated following two weeks after they have received their final dose of the vaccine. As of Tuesday, 3.6 million Ohioans have been fully vaccinated against the virus.

“The vaccine is our ticket out,” said DeWine. “I hope this will encourage our students and more of our young people to get the vaccine.”

RELATED: CDC says fully vaccinated Americans can go outside without a mask

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