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COVID-19 positive? You can still vote in person, CDC says

November 4, 2020 /

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Anyone who recently tested positive for COVID-19 can still vote in person, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even if a person is “sick or in quarantine,” he or she can go to the polls to participate in this year’s presidential election, the federal agency advised in a public notice on Sunday. The CDC noted that everyone, including people who are potentially infectious, “should take steps to protect poll workers and other voters.”

The guidelines for COVID-positive voters are much the same as the recommendations for everyone else: Wear a mask, stay six feet apart, and wash or sanitize your hands before and after voting. “You should also let poll workers know that you are sick or in quarantine when you arrive at the polling location,” the CDC said.

“Check with local authorities for any additional guidance,” the CDC added.

The number of new coronavirus infections spiked to record highs across the United States recently. The CDC has counted more than 565,000 cases in the past week.

States seeing the biggest viral surges include Illinois (44,570 cases in the past week, as of press time), Texas (42,480), Wisconsin (32,506), California (28,505), Florida (28,149), Michigan (21,794), and Ohio (20,885).

Many of these places are battleground states, where the race between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden is particularly heated.

Nearly 100 million people have already cast their ballots—a record number of early voters.

For anyone planning to vote on-site on Tuesday, the CDC recommends following the rules to stay safe. “The more prepared you are, the more you reduce your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19,” the agency said.

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