After complaints about a lack of transparency regarding outbreaks of the coronavirus in long-term care facilities in New jersey, the state Department of Health is issuing a clear directive on how facilities must notify staff, residents and their families about COVID-19 cases.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli made the announcement Saturday after NJ Advance Media reported families have been unable to get timely, accurate information from nursing homes caring for their loved ones. Some staff members also alleged they were kept in the dark about who had the virus even as they tried desperately to stop the spread.

Persichilli said she is instructing nursing homes to notify all residents and staff members in person and in writing within 24 hours. Facilities must notify families or whoever is designated responsible for the resident via telephone, email or another form of communication within 24 hours, and must follow it up in writing within three days, she said. This should happen when a resident or staff member is a confirmed case or a “person under investigation” for coronavirus.

At the state’s daily coronavirus press briefing, Persichilli said she will release the information to the public herself if the nursing homes don’t comply.

“This morning I spoke with the CEO of the long-term care association to inform him that if we are not notified by close of business on Monday that every nursing home and assisted living facility has contacted family members and staff, we will release the names of the long-term care facilities with at least one COVID-19 case,” she said.

Jonathan Dolan, president & CEO of the Health Care Association of New Jersey, said he spoke with Perischilli and Gov. Phil Murphy Saturday and is pleased that they are sending a clear message about what is expected.

“They called, they asked us to help, and they are helping by their directive,” Dolan said. He said he believes most nursing homes have been quickly notifying of COVID-19 cases. “But we know some folks have not done it right and we’re going to make sure they do.”

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As of Saturday, 148 long-term care facilities — 39% of those in the state — had at least one coronavirus case. The state has not said how many coronavirus cases are in long-term care facilities, but Dolan estimates it is around 350.

At least six have had significant outbreaks, but Dolan said the state has assisted in testing and containing those outbreaks. Nine percent of the state’s 846 deaths have been connected to long-term care facilities.

Dolan said he’s seen some facilities do an exemplary job of keeping families informed, with daily updates and detailed explanations of all the isolation, cleaning and screening efforts underway.

“Those are examples of what right looks like. Due to the strain of hospitals and nursing homes, we’ve also seen examples that may not be the best,” he said. He also noted that issues that can complicate or delay proper notification include patients with co-morbidities (two diseases affecting a patient at once), testing delays and many patients being taken off-site into hospitals.

Mary Kyryakos, seen here in an old photo with seven of her 11 grandchildren, died March 31, 2020 at a Paramus nursing home.Provided

Among those who contacted NJ Advance Media about communication problems with nursing homes was Rita Poggi, who only learned after her mother’s death Tuesday that another resident had been taken to the hospital 10 days earlier and later died of the coronavirus. She suspects her mother died of the coronavirus given her symptoms, but said she was not tested and thus is not included in the state’s count.

Laurie Brewer, New Jersey’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman, said nearly every call her office has received in the past month has been coronavirus-related and largely about communication problems.

Previously, the only state rules regarding notification of infectious disease outbreaks was a law passed after an adenovirus outbreak at a Wanaque nursing home killed 11 children. It went into effect in February and requires nursing homes to have as part of their outbreak response plans “clear policies” regarding notifying residents, staff and families about an outbreak.

The directive Persichilli announced Saturday lays out specifics of what those notifications should look like.

New Jersey has at least 34,124 cases of COVID-19 amid its 9 million population, including at least 846 deaths, officials announced Saturday. The death toll now is more than the 704 New Jersey residents who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

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Staff writer Avalon Zoppo contributed to this report.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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