Masks are again mandatory for visitors at the largest hospital system in New Jersey.
Since Monday, all guests at RWJ Barnabas Health’s 14 medical centers “are expected” to wear an appropriate mask, the healthcare system said.
People are also asked to stay away if they’re sick or experiencing flu or COVID-like symptoms. Anyone who has tested positive for the virus or been exposed to someone who had it in the past 10 days should also stay away, RWJ Barnabas Health said.
Masking is also “strongly encouraged” for staff and visitors at RWJ outpatient and medical group facilities.
Although vaccines have been widely available for almost four years and COVID-related deaths are now minimal, more than 100,000 people in New Jersey have tested positive for COVID-19 this year, according to the state’s online dashboard.
The state said it stopped tracking how many people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Nov. 1.
At the height of the pandemic in 2020 and early 2021, more than 6,000 people were in the state’s 70 hospitals being treated for the virus.
More than 36,000 people in New Jersey died of the virus or of causes related to the coronavirus.
The hospitals in the RWJ Barnabas Health network include:
- Children’s Specialized Hospital, New Brunswick
- Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville
- Community Medical Center, Toms River
- Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston
- Jersey City Medical Center
- Monmouth Medical Center and The Unterberg Children’s Hospital, Long Branch
- Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, Lakewood
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Mercer County
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, New Brunswick
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville
- RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health Center, Toms River
- Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
