President of flight attendants union slams CDC for shortening quarantine period for asymptomatic people

• A flight attendants union has criticized the CDC for lowering its quarantine guidelines.
• Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson told CNN "it was all about the staffing issues."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened its quarantine guidance for asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 to five days on Monday, but a flight attendants union says the change was not driven by health and safety.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants-CWA, issued a statement on Monday criticizing the CDC for reducing its recommended COVID-19 isolation period to five days.

"We said we wanted to hear from medical professionals on the best guidance for quarantine, not from corporate America advocating for a shortened period due to staffing shortages," Nelson said. "The CDC gave a medical explanation about why the agency has decided to reduce the quarantine requirements from 10 to five days, but the fact that it aligns with the number of days pushed by corporate America is less than reassuring."

The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Nelson's remarks. According to the CDC, the change in quarantine requirements was driven by the understanding that COVID-19 transmission "occurs early in the course of illness," which is typically one to two days before symptoms start and two to three days after.

The new five-day guidelines apply to people who test positive for COVID-19 but are not showing symptoms. The agency also recommends those individuals continue to wear a mask for another five days after the isolation period. Nelson also said that airlines need to explain how they plan to implement the new guidelines to ensure employees wear masks at all times and only people who are asymptomatic come back to work.

On December 21, Delta Air Lines sent a letter to the CDC requesting the agency alter the recommendation to five days, saying flight disruptions could occur if the agency maintained the 10-day guideline. The letter was signed by Delta CEO Ed Bastian, Delta's medical advisor Carlos del Rio, and Delta's Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer Henry Ting.

"Our employees represent an essential workforce to enable Americans who need to travel domestically and internationally," they wrote in the letter. "With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the 10-day isolation for those who are fully vaccinated may significantly impact our workforce and operations."

Nelson told CNN on Tuesday that the change came about "at the behest of Delta Air Lines" because the airline realized it could face staffing shortages over the holidays.

"Delta's statement after this policy was put into place had not an ounce of public safety in it, but it was all about the staffing issues," Nelson said.

Unlike other carriers that negotiated incentive pay for their employees, Delta, whose workforce does not have a flight attendants union, did not, according to Nelson.

"Delta has always, without exception, put the health and safety of our people and customers ahead of all else, which includes our industry-leading cleaning practices throughout the pandemic and blocking middle seats for sale for more than a year," a Delta spokesperson told Insider in an emailed statement. "We support the recent change in CDC guidance."

The statement continued later: "Delta has and continues to follow the science-backed approach of the CDC and any statement to the contrary is simply without merit."