The CDC’s looser testing guidelines may have come as a surprise, but they aren’t expected to change much in Alaska

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to roll back coronavirus testing restrictions is generating confusion and concern around the country, but officials in Alaska say they don’t expect immediate effects here.

They also say that the new policies caught them by surprise.

The federal agency this week posted updated guidance saying people who have come into close contact with someone who tested positive don’t necessarily need to be tested if they’re not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The CDC also quietly dropped its 14-day self-quarantine recommendation for out-of-state and international travelers.

The latest changes are just “something for us to take into consideration and see if it makes sense for us to do anything different,” the state’s infectious disease program manager, Louisa Castrodale, said during a briefing Wednesday.

In Anchorage, health officials say they recommend testing for all close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The municipality offers free drive-thru testing at five sites.

“We have widespread COVID-19 in Anchorage, and people infected with COVID-19 who have no symptoms are still infectious to people close by. For these reasons, we support widespread testing, including testing for anyone who has symptoms and anyone who has been in contact with a person infected with COVID-19,” Dr. Bruce Chandler, the Anchorage Health Department’s disease prevention and control medical officer, said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “If we do not identify and isolate all people who are infectious, including people who are infectious but who are not sick, we will having ongoing spread of the virus in the community.”

Still, the state’s top epidemiologist said news reports about the guidance were the first he’d heard despite his participation in several national health policy calls a week.

“I don’t know why the CDC came out with this revised guidance,” Dr. Joe McLaughlin said at Wednesday’s briefing, in answer to a question. “This is not something we had heard about, so I don’t know the backstory on why CDC made that decision.”

[Related: Public health officials bewildered by changes to CDC coronavirus testing guidelines]

Asked when it’s appropriate to test people without symptoms, McLaughlin said CDC about a month ago issued guidance saying any close contacts of an infected person should be tested at some point within 14 days of exposure. He said generally it’s considered good practice to test contacts anywhere between the eighth to 14th day because symptoms tend to develop by the end of the first week.

The new guidance posted this week on the CDC website says people with no symptoms who have been in close contact with an infected person “do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.”

Just because the guidance says it’s not always necessary “doesn’t mean you shouldn’t,” McLaughlin said. Bottom line, he added, if someone finishes a 14-day quarantine and still has no symptoms, “basically you’re OK to come out of quarantine.”

The other new CDC guidance no longer recommends returning travelers quarantine but that they should social distance, wear a cloth face covering, wash hands frequently and watch for symptoms — the same advice for all Americans regardless of their travel status.

Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said during Wednesday’s briefing that she didn’t expect the travel changes to result in any changes to state travel mandates. The state’s requirements range from requiring “strict social distancing” for travelers waiting on a second round of test results to self-quarantine for those who chose not to test at all.