Coronavirus Watch: CDC cuts recommended isolation, quarantine time

The CDC on Monday cut the amount of time it recommends people should isolate and quarantine.

• Isolation: For those who are infected with COVID-19, isolation starts the day a person tests positive. The CDC now recommends isolating for five days and going back to normal activities if a person is not showing any symptoms after that period. Previously, the isolation period was 10 days. 
• Quarantine: For those who come in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. The CDC is now recommending those who are vaccinated and received a booster shot can skip quarantining if they wear a face mask for at least 10 days. If a person is vaccinated and has not gotten a booster, or if they are partly vaccinated or not vaccinated at all, the CDC recommends a five-day quarantine, then wearing a mask in public for an additional five days. 

It's Tuesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news to know:

• The U.S. on Monday reported more than half a million new cases – vastly worse than any other single-day report of the entire pandemic. Monday's tally of more than 500,000 cases beat the nation's previous record of more than 303,000, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. The apparent spike likely represents some cases backlogged over the Christmas holiday, but it also reflects part of the surge of the highly contagious omicron strain.
• The Texas state health department has run out of a key monoclonal antibody treatment to fight the omicron variant, which now makes up 90% of the virus cases in the state.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 52.7 million COVID-19 cases and 818,300 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 281.5 million cases and more than 5.4 million deaths. About 73% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 62% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 85% have received at least one shot, and about 73% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, USA TODAY breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck