SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — For the first time in nearly a year, you may soon visit a friend or relative in select South Jersey long-term care facilities.
The Garden State is allowing visits in seven counties, including Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem, because COVID-19 case counts have dropped over the last several weeks.
Those counties have had “moderate” COVID-19 activity, said state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, so socially distanced visits by appointment are allowed at long-term care facilities that prove they have met certain criteria.
“Indoor visitation can only occur in facilities where the facility has sufficient staff, a mechanism for appointments, and sufficient PPE and cleaning and disinfection supplies to permit safe visitation,” she said.
The other three counties are Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer.
Statewide, New Jersey long-term care facilities are currently dealing with 362 active COVID-19 outbreaks.
But with case counts dropping overall, Gov. Phil Murphy said the next step would be bumping indoor dining to half capacity, though he couldn’t say when.
“My guess is the next move probably is from 35% to 50%,” he said at his Wednesday briefing. “That would be my guess. I don't know when, but if the numbers keep getting better, it’ll be sooner than later.”
He said if it weren’t for the more transmissible variants, he would consider easing restrictions sooner.