WEST ORANGE — Due to the steady decline in the number of individuals with COVID-19 in New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health announces that effective immediately, all hospitals in the system will begin permitting visitation within defined safety parameters. Visitation for patients with confirmed COVID-19 will still be restricted to extenuating circumstances only such as hospice or end of life. Under the guidance of the New Jersey Department of Health, visitors will be allowed as outlined below:

• All visitors must be 18 years of age or older, except in rare exceptions as determined by the facility.
• Adult Inpatient Acute Care Units: one person per patient at a time is permitted between the hours of 12 and 8:00 p.m.
• Pediatric Units: two parents or guardians are permitted at any time where the patient is a minor.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Units: two parents/support persons are permitted at any time.
• Maternity and Labor & Delivery units: one significant other/support person is permitted. Once in the labor and delivery unit, the designated support person must have extremely limited access to the other areas of the hospital and will not be permitted to leave and reenter the unit.
• Emergency Department: one visitor per patient is permitted at any time for adult patients. Two parents or guardians are permitted at any time where the patient is a minor.
• Behavioral Health Adult Units: no visitors permitted until further notice.
• Pediatric Psychiatric Patients: only one parent/guardian is permitted if/when a mutual agreement between the care team and the parents/guardian has been reached.
• Visitors may not be present during procedures or in the recovery room, except for pediatrics, childbirth, and patients with an intellectual, developmental or other cognitive disability.
• Same-day surgery or procedure patients, except for pediatrics, and patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability, may have one support person prior to and after the procedure. The support person may remain with the patient through the initial intake process and may rejoin the patient for the discharge process.
• Outpatients may be accompanied by one adult. Visitors may wait for the patient in the hospital or facility’s designated waiting area (subject to physical space availability), while the patient is having his/her procedure.

All visitors must undergo symptoms and temperature checks upon entering any of our facilities. If they present with fever or symptoms, they will not be allowed entry into the facility as recommended by the CDC.
All visitors must perform hand hygiene before visiting a patient and once in the hospital or facility, visitors shall remain in the patient’s room (or Emergency Department bay) as much as possible throughout the visit, except when directed by hospital or facility staff to leave during an aerosol-generating procedure or other procedures in which visitors are usually asked to leave.

Additionally, upon arrival, all visitors will be provided with and must wear appropriate PPE as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Visitors will need a procedure mask only unless an individual is permitted to visit a COVID-19 positive patient because of extenuating circumstances. In this situation, staff will direct the visitor to the appropriate PPE. At the time of entrance, all visitors will be provided instructions on how to wear face masks. If a visitor refuses to wear a mask or other PPE as indicated, that individual will be asked to leave the facility.

More details and additional information on the RWJBarnabas Health visitation guidelines can be found by clicking here.

“RWJBarnabas Health has developed policies and procedures to prioritize and ensure the health and safety of all patients, visitors and staff in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” said John F. Bonamo, MD, MS, FACOG, FACPE, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical and Quality Officer of RWJBarnabas Health. “One of the most important safeguards established to achieve this goal has been restricting visitation in our facilities. However, we recognize the vital role that family members and loved ones have in the healing and well-being of our patients, and with declining numbers in the state we are happy to announce that visitors will be permitted again.”

Safe Resumption of Specialty Care Services

Now that the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey has passed, RWJBarnabas Health has resumed specialty care services to continue to safely and reliably serve its surrounding communities and provide care for all patients. Patients no longer need to delay care which can put them at increased health risks. Through a thoughtful and structured approach and following adherence to all public health guidance and regulatory policies, RWJBarnabas Health’s specialty programs are now able to provide more robust clinical operations including treatments, diagnoses, screenings and elective surgery procedures.

“We recognize that patients and their families may be apprehensive about of seeking medical care at this time, but we have taken every precaution to welcome them back safely. We also know that many people have been putting off care due to the pandemic but we want them to know that it’s safe to come back and encourage them to minimize potential health risks by not putting off care any longer,” said Dr. Bonamo. “As a high-reliability organization, safety comes first and is embedded in everything we do. We are taking the appropriate precautions and using best practices to continue to ensure the highest quality care, protection, support, and comfort for all of our patents.”

To provide appropriate care and reduce the risk of infection for caregivers, patients, and staff, all patients admitted to any RWJBarnabas hospital will have a COVID-19 test as part of the pre-admission testing process including scheduled elective surgeries and Emergency Department patients. Elective surgery patients will be required to self-quarantine following testing and up until the day of surgery. Additionally, all those entering an RWJBH facility, including patients, visitors, vendors, staff, and physicians will have their temperature checked with an infrared thermometer upon arrival, will be asked screening questions about COVID-19 symptoms, per CDC guidelines and will receive a COVID-19 test. Those who present with a fever over 100 degrees or who answer ‘yes’ to any symptoms will be directed to a specifically designated area for counseling. All patients who are COVID-19 positive or presumptive positive will continue to be separated from the general patient population. Additional safety measures include:

• Adherence to the guidance and established criteria of the CDC, the American Hospital Association, leading national associations of nurses, surgeons and anesthesiologists and the New Jersey Department of Health
  Staff vigilance regarding the appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with all patients, including COVID-19 positive and non-COVID patients
• Stringent cleaning and disinfection throughout our facilities and in all rooms, including equipment and surfaces, frequently and between patients
• Active screening of all team members, patients and visitors upon entering a facility for temperature and symptoms
  Requiring everyone who enters a facility to wear a mask or face covering, per CDC universal masking guidelines and our RWJBarnabas Health mask policy
• Social and physical distancing measures for all people in our facilities – in all employee and patient areas – such as minimizing time in waiting areas, spacing chairs at least six feet apart, marking floors with tape at proper intervals and maintaining low patient flow so as not to cause crowding
• Strict hand hygiene and availability of hand sanitizer in all employee and patient areas
  Virtual communication for patients to connect with their loved ones needed now with visitation?

NEWARK — The ex-husband of one of the stars of the Bravo television show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” and an organized crime soldier were arrested on charges of planning and carrying out an assault of the Bravo star’s current husband in exchange for a lavish wedding reception, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Thomas Manzo, 55, of Franklin Lakes, and John Perna, 43, of Cedar Grove, are each charged by indictment with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. The indictment also charges Perna – identified in the indictment as a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family – with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud related to the submission of a false car insurance claim, and Manzo with falsifying and concealing records related to the federal investigation of the violent crime. Both defendants will make their initial appearances today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In the spring of 2015, Manzo, one of the owners of the Brownstone Restaurant in Paterson, allegedly hired Perna to assault his ex-wife’s then-boyfriend in exchange for a deeply discounted wedding reception for Perna held at the upscale venue.

Perna, who is a “made man” in the Lucchese Crime Family with his own crew, worked with his associates to plan and carry out the assault, which took place in July of 2015.

In exchange for committing the assault, Perna held a lavish wedding reception at Manzo’s restaurant for a fraction of the price, which was paid by another Lucchese associate and close friend of Manzo’s. The wedding and reception, held in August 2015, were attended by approximately 330 people and included many members of the Lucchese Crime Family.

Separately, prior to the date that Perna was scheduled to begin serving a state prison sentence in January 2016, he falsely reported that his Mercedes Benz was stolen and destroyed. Perna filed an insurance claim for the destruction of the Mercedes Benz in order for the balance due on the Mercedes Benz. However, Perna had staged the vehicle theft and arson with other members of the Lucchese Crime Family.

The charge against Manzo for allegedly falsifying and concealing records related to the federal investigation of the July 2015 assault relates to federal grand jury subpoenas that were sent to the Brownstone Restaurant seeking documents related to the August 2015 Perna wedding reception.

Manzo failed to turn over relevant documents in response to those subpoenas and deliberately submitted a false document regarding the reception to the government, along with a false certification. In November 2019, agents with the FBI executed a search warrant at the Brownstone Restaurant and seized invoices for the August 2015 Perna wedding reception and other relevant documents that were not previously turned over.

The violent crime in aid of racketeering activity count against both defendants carries a maximum potential penalty of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to commit the violent crime in aid of racketeering activity count against both defendants carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud count against Perna carries a maximum potential penalty of twenty years of in prison and a $250,000 fine. The falsifying and concealing records related to a federal investigation count against Manzo carries a maximum potential penalty of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Denahan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest.

The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.

Click here to download the Indictment.

Editor’s Note: An arrest or the signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.