Trinitas Medical Center Restricts Visitors As COVID Cases Climb

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Trinitas Medical Center in Elizabeth is restricting visiting as positive coronavirus cases continue to climb in New Jersey.

"Our COVID cases are up, but the majority are not as ill as we experienced in the spring. As a precaution we have restricted visiting, except in special cases," said Doug Harris, spokesman for Trinitas.

Exceptions to the restricted visiting rules include allowing one support person to accompany a patient in the following units/situations:

• Labor and Delivery, Maternity
• Neonatal Intermediate Care Nursery – mother and banded support person
• Patients receiving End of Life care

Harris said the hospital is also continuing to build its supply of personal protective equipment and is using high-tech methods to protect against the spread of the virus.

"Of course we have in effect all of our protective and cleaning measures to keep our patients and staff safe. This includes going a step beyond by treating all patient areas with ultraviolet light," Harris said.

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, speaking during a Thursday news conference, said at least six New Jersey hospitals have been on partial "divert" status as they deal with too many coronavirus cases and other issues amid the second-wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. Read More: At Least 6 NJ Hospitals On 'Divert' Status As COVID-19 Cases Rise

Trinitas is not one of those hospitals.

"Divert" status usually means that hospitals send notice to incoming ambulances to bring patients to other local medical care facilities.

A hospital goes on diversion when there are not enough beds or staff available in the emergency room, or the hospital itself, to adequately care for patients.

Persichilli said Thursday that New Jersey had its third consecutive day of 3,000 new cases or more for the first time since April.

Union County is reporting 332 new positive coronavirus cases since Wednesday. Union County also has reported a total of 23,151 coronavirus cases and 1,218 deaths since March.

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