The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) released health and safety standards for when personal care services closed due to the coronavirus pandemic welcome back customers.
Among the businesses reopening June 22 affected include cosmetology shops, barbershops, beauty salons, hair braiding shops, nail salons, and massage establishments. The standards are meant to protect customers, as well as licensed professionals and staff, by reducing the continued risks posed by COVID-19, according to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
“As New Jersey continues to take steps to strategically reopen businesses, we can’t let our guard down,” said Grewal in a press statement. “As personal care services resume, it’s important that businesses and professionals offering these services — as well as their clients — take precautions to diminish the risk of infection.”
Minimal Interaction
The DCA order requires cosmetology, massage, and bodywork businesses overseen by its licensing boards to take steps to minimize person-to-person contact and to follow protocols for scheduling appointments, screening clients and staff prior to entry to the facility, use of personal protective equipment by clients and staff, adopting enhanced cleaning and disinfection practices, and staying informed about new developments and guidance related to COVID-19.
To protect licensed professionals, staff and clients, health and safety protocols for the reopening of cosmetology and massage and bodywork businesses offering personal care services include:
- Screening customers and staff no more than 24 hours before a scheduled appointment and immediately prior to or upon arrival at the business. Any individual who reports having any symptom consistent with COVID-19 in the last 72 hours, or exposed in the last 14 days, cannot be permitted to enter
- Checking temperatures for clients and staff prior to entry, with anyone registering a temperature over 100.4 is not be permitted to work or bee seen for their appointment
- Appointments are required, no walk-in service us allowed
- Capacity limits are to be enforced, with only staff and clients receiving services by appointment inside the establishment
- Spacing appointments to allow time for cleaning and disinfecting between customers
- Having at least six feet of distance between individuals wherever possible with physical barriers, signs, tape or floor markers to facilitate social distancing
- Face masks are required at all times, with limited exceptions
- Requiring the removal of reusable items such as magazines and samples
DCA Protocols
“Proper disinfection and cleaning practices are already part of the training our licensees receive, and the regulations the division enforces,” said acting Director Paul R. Rodríguez.
“By expanding these safety protocols to include additional infection control measures, we seek to protect the safety of consumers, providers, and staff as the state continues its path on the road to recovery.”
DCA worked with the state’s Department of Health, the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling, the New Jersey Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy, and based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control in developing the guidelines.
Daily Data
As of June 16, the cumulative number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey reached 167,426 with 470 new cases and 51 new deaths, bringing that total to 12,727.
Of the total deaths in North Jersey, Essex County has the most with 1,751, followed by Bergen at 1,673, Hudson with 1,255, Passaic at 1,006, Morris at 640, Sussex at 150 and Warren with 140.
State Testing
The daily rate of infections from those tested as of June 12 rested at 2.5%. The state is no longer using serology tests as health officials explained those results show a past presence of the disease as well as a current one. By region, the north tested at 1.7%, the central at 2.2% and the south 4.8%.
Officials reported 1,291 patients are hospitalized with coronavirus—which included 33 new hospitalizations—while 53 patients were discharged. The north tier had 555 patients hospitalized, the central 362 and the south 342.
The daily discharge and new hospitalizations by tier for June 16 was the north charting 12 hospitalizations and 24 discharges, the central having 10 hospitalizations and 12 discharges, and the south reporting 17 hospitalizations and discharges.
Of those hospitalized, 362 are in intensive care units and 245 on ventilators. There are currently five patients in field hospitals, with 476 treated overall.
Bergen Tops County Count
Bergen has the most cumulative cases in the state with 18,901, followed by Hudson at 18,744, Essex at 18,388, Passaic at 16,664, Middlesex at 16,474, Union at 16,320, Ocean at 9,279, Monmouth at 8,786, Mercer at 7,381, Camden at 7,040, Morris at 6,599, Burlington at 4,929, Somerset at 4,767, Cumberland at 2,728, Atlantic at 2,539, Gloucester at 2,423, Warren at 1,205, Sussex at 1,161, Hunterdon at 1,042, Salem at 711 and Cape May at 681.
Another 664 cases are still under investigation to determine where the person resides.
Demographic Breakdown
The racial breakdown of the record deaths was 54% White, 20% Hispanic, 19% Black, 6% Asian and 2% another race. Murphy has noted the rates in the black and Hispanic communities are running about 50% more than their population in the state.
In regards to the underlying disease of those who have passed, 56% had cardiovascular disease, 45% diabetes, 31% other chronic diseases, 18% neurological conditions, 17% lung diseases, 15% chronic renal disease, 10% cancer and 14% other. Persichilli has stated most cases have multiple underlying conditions which would push the percentage of 100%.
A census of ages for 9,941 confirmed deaths shows 47% of deaths are of those 80 year old and up, 33% in the range of 65-80, 16% between 50-65 and 4% under the age of 49.
State officials are tracking cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children who in turn test positive for COVID-19. Two new cases were reported June 16, bringing the total in New Jersey to 4w for children ranging in age from 1-18. All have tested positive for COVID-19 or have antibodies in their blood. Four are currently hospitalized. No deaths have been reported from the disease.
Persichilli stated “Black and Hispanic children account for a disproportionately high number” on a national scale. While only a small sample, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli reported the racial breakdown in New Jersey was 36% Hispanic, 33% Black, 19% White, 8% Asian and 3% other.
Long-term Care Facilities
Health officials noted 555 long-term care facilities are reporting at least one case of COVID-19 and accounted for 35,360 of the cases, broken down between 23,580 residents and 11,823 staff. The state’s official death total will now be reported as those that are lab confirmed, which was 6,020 on June 15. The facilities are reporting to the state 6,340 residents deaths and 116 staff deaths.
In a by-county breakdown:
Bergen County
- 63 Facilities with Outbreaks
- 3241 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 1691 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 920 Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
- 11 Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
Essex County
- 46 Facilities with Outbreaks
- 2160 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 1016 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 565 Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
- 19 Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
Morris County
- 42 Facilities with Outbreaks
- 1422 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 687 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 480 Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
- 3 Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
Passaic County
- 25 Facilities with Outbreaks
- 1264 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 749 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 369 Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
- 14 Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
Hudson County
- 15 Facilities with Outbreaks
- 995 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 531 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 248 Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
- 8 Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
Sussex County
- 7 Facilities with Outbreaks
- 258 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 145 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 107 Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
- 4 Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
Warren County
- 7 Facilities with Outbreaks
- 407 Total Resident Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 132 Total Staff Cases at Long Term Care Facilities
- 115 Resident Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
- 1 Staff Deaths reported by Long Term Care Facilities
