TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- New Jersey will allow parents and legal guardians to visit pediatric, developmentally disabled and intellectually disabled long-term care facility residents, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday.
Visits will be by-appointment only, and visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms, Murphy said during a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday afternoon.
The state has been allowing some outdoor visitations since Father's Day, but indoor visitations will now be allowed at facilities that haven't had any new probable or confirmed COVID-19 cases in a 28-day period, he said. The Department of Health will release additional guidelines by end-of-day Wednesday, he added.
"We know that this has been a trying time for residents in these settings," Murphy said, adding that New Jersey has had to take "extra precautions" to save vulnerable residents' lives.
Murphy on Wednesday reported 396 new COVID-19 cases and 27 new deaths, bringing the state's case total to 176,278 and its death toll to 13,660. The state is also investigating 1,974 probable COVID-19 deaths, he said.
As of Tuesday, 923 New Jerseyans were hospitalized with COVID-19, 78 of whom were on ventilators, he said.
"The numbers in our hospitals continue to trend in the right direction, a good sign," he said. "But the increasing rate of spread of COVID among younger residents remains troubling. We need to remain vigilant."
