Local Hospitals Now Allowing Some Visitors Amid Coronavirus

SUMMIT, NJ — With the spread of coronavirus steadily declining in New Jersey thanks to precautions, several area hospitals have begun allowing more visitors, with rules including temperature checks and face masks. Check with your local hospital to confirm rules before going.

Here are links to the updated rules for local hospitals and hospital networks:

• Overlook Medical Center in Summit, Newton Medical Center, and other Atlantic Health System hospitals had begun restricting visitors in mid-March. On Wednesday afternoon, Atlantic updated their guidelines, mandating that visitors wear a face covering, get temperature checks upon entering the facility, and more. See this link for the guidelines.
• Hackensack Medical Center listed these and these guidelines as of Wednesday.
• Trinitas Hospital in Elizabeth listed these new guidelines.
• Robert Wood Johnson Saint Barnabas hospitals' updated guidelines are here. They apply to, according to a spokeswoman: "All hospitals in the RWJBH system: Barnabas Health Behavioral Health, Children’s Specialized Hospital, Clara Maass Medical Center, Community Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Monmouth South Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, RWJ-Hamilton, RWJUH-New Brunswick, RWJ-Rahway, RWJ- Somerset, Saint Barnabas Medical Center."

Guidelines for the various hospitals have included:

• Temperature checks upon entering the facility
• Wearing face coverings
• A limited number of visitors at one time
• Remaining in the hospital room while visiting
• Age limits
• Limited visiting hours,
• and more.

On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Murphy said there had been 423 new cases statewide in the previous 24 hours, and 45 more deaths. That meant that the number of cases has risen to 171,928, and 13,224 confirmed deaths. But this was down from New Jersey's peak: a high of 460 deaths in 24 hours on April 30. Read more: Gov. Murphy: 423 New NJ Coronavirus Cases, 45 More Deaths

Atlantic Health System noted, "Understand the COVID-19 virus, how to protect yourself and what to do if you get sick. Our experts are also offering guidance on managing stress and anxiety, eating healthy and parenting during a pandemic." Click here for more.

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