Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical

Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with

Suspected or Conrmed COVID-19 

To ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, CDC advises that 

critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work following 

potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and 

additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community. 

A potential exposure means being a household contact or having close 

contact within 6 feet of an individual with conrmed or suspected COVID-19. 

The timeframe for having contact with an individual includes the period of 

time of 48 hours before the individual became symptomatic.

Critical Infrastructure workers who have had an exposure but remain 

asymptomatic should adhere to the following practices prior to and during 

their work shift:

Pre-Screen: Employers should measure the employee’s temperature and 

assess symptoms prior to them starting work. Ideally, temperature checks 

should happen before the individual enters the facility. 

Regular Monitoring: As long as the employee doesn’t have a temperature or 

symptoms, they should self-monitor under the supervision of their employer’s occupational health program.

Wear a Mask: The employee should wear a face mask at all times while in 

the workplace for 14 days after last exposure. Employers can issue 

facemasks or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the 

event of shortages.

Social Distance: The employee should maintain 6 feet and practice social 

distancing as work duties permit in the workplace.

Disinfect and Clean work spaces: Clean and disinfect all areas such as 

oces, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment routinely.

If the employee becomes sick during the day, they should be sent home 

immediately. Surfaces in their workspace should be cleaned and disinfected. 

Information on persons who had contact with the ill employee during the 

time the employee had symptoms and 2 days prior to symptoms should be 

compiled. Others at the facility with close contact within 6 feet of the 

employee during this time would be considered exposed. 

Employers should implement the recommendations in the Interim Guidance

for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 

2019 to help prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. 

Additional information about identifying critical infrastructure during 

COVID-19 can be found on the DHS CISA website or the CDC’s specic First 

Responder Guidance page.

INTERIM GUIDANCE

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

This interim guidance pertains to critical 

infrastructure workers, including personnel in 

16 dierent sectors of work including:

Federal, state, & local law enforcement

911 call center employees

Fusion Center employees

Hazardous material responders from

government and the private sector

Janitorial sta and other custodial sta

Workers – including contracted vendors – in 

food and agriculture, critical manufacturing, 

informational technology, transportation, 

energy and government facilities

Employees should not share headsets or other 

objects that are near mouth or nose.

Employers should increase the frequency of 

cleaning commonly touched

surfaces.

Employees and employers should consider 

pilot testing the use of face masks to ensure 

they do not interfere with work assignments.

Employers should work with facility maintenance sta to increase air exchanges in room.

Employees should physically distance when 

they take breaks together. Stagger breaks and 

don’t congregate in the break room, and don’t 

share food or utensils.