Montclair, Newark Planned Parenthoods Remain Open In Coronavirus

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Planned Parenthood facilities in Montclair, Newark and Paterson are staying open – but ramping up social distancing and safety precautions – as the new coronavirus continues to spread in New Jersey.

On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey (PPMNJ), which serves Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties, announced that it is keeping three of its five facilities in the area open and “seeing as many patients as possible.”

According to spokespeople, the following health centers will remain open:

• Paterson Health Center, 680 Broadway, Paterson NJ; from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Montclair Health Center, 29 North Fullerton Ave, Montclair NJ; from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Mulberry Health Center, 240 Mulberry Street, Newark NJ 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The PPMNJ facilities in the Ironbound section of Newark and East Orange have been closed, as neither were able to comply with social distancing requirements due to their smaller size, spokespeople said.

The three centers that remain open are seeing patients both in-person and via a new telehealth program, which allows patients to access high-quality, affordable health care services by phone or through a private and secure video conferencing platform that connects them with PPMNJ’s trusted providers.

Staff are also referring patients to the PP Direct App, which allows patients to access birth control medications. In-person and telehealth appointments are available via www.ppmnj.org, or by calling 973-622-3900.

READ MORE: NJ Coronavirus Updates (Here's What You Need To Know)

Demand for services has not gone down, despite the COVID-19 crisis, spokespeople said. In response, staff have been ramping up their safety procedures.

“The health and safety of our patients and staff is very important to Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey, and we are taking precautions to adhere to social distancing recommendations,” PPMNJ CEO Roslyn Rogers Collins said.

Those precautions include:

• Patients are required to wear masks
• Employees are required to wear masks and gloves
• Employees and patients’ temperatures are taken at the beginning of each shift/appointment
• Disinfecting each health center at the close of business
• Staggering of scheduling appointments and spacing waiting room chairs 6 to 10 feet apart
• Hand sanitizer in all facilities

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