An employee who was excluded for vomiting and diarrhea wants to return to work. Under the Food Code, when can a food handler generally return after these symptoms?

Explanation

An employee excluded for vomiting or diarrhea may generally return when symptom-free for at least 24 hours, or with approval from the regulatory authority or a medical practitioner, depending on the pathogen. Two hours symptom-free falls far short of that window, and logging the time does not make it compliant; coming back as soon as someone feels better, even in gloves, still lets Norovirus spread from the hands. A blanket 30-day absence is not the standard for simple vomiting/diarrhea without a specific diagnosis, and it ignores the medical release the Code allows.