U.S. District Chief Judge Freda Wolfson. Photo: Carmen Natale/ALM

State and federal courts in New Jersey are keeping close tabs on the progression of the coronavirus, but so far it has had little impact on regular court routines.

In the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the coronavirus has not brought about any significant changes in operations, but the administration of the District of New Jersey and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit are monitoring the situation, said Chief Judge Freda Wolfson.

Disinfectant supplies have been distributed to court staff, and employees are being advised to stay home if they feel sick, said Wolfson.

"Nothing has changed yet. We're all being vigilant," said Wolfson, who said it was too soon to tell if the District of New Jersey will institute a policy like the one adopted Monday by the Southern District of New York.

The Southern District's new policy bars courthouse admission to anyone who has traveled to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy or Iran in the past 14 days. Each of those countries is currently dealing with an outbreak of the virus.

Also denied entry is anyone who resides with, or had close contact with, someone who visited those countries, as well as anyone who has been diagnosed with the virus or been in close contact with someone diagnosed.

Federal courts in western Washington state on Friday said they are suspending all civil and criminal matters requiring an in-court appearance due to an outbreak there. The order, in effect at least until March 31, does not impact judges' considerations of civil or criminal matters that can be resolved on court filings without oral argument. The courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma remain open.

More than a dozen deaths in the U.S., the bulk of them in Washington state, have been attributed to the coronavirus outbreak, as the number of infected patients globally soared past 100,000 Friday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Friday said it is canceling en banc hearings this week.

If the virus becomes more severe in New Jersey, judges, courtroom deputies and law clerks could begin working from home, and some proceedings, such as settlement conferences, could be conducted by phone, Wolfson said.

In New Jersey's state court system, out-of-state business travel by court staff is getting close scrutiny, and travel to locations substantially impacted by the virus is not allowed, said Pete McAleer, spokesman for the Administrative Office of the Courts. But all court events are being held as scheduled, McAleer said.

"We continue to monitor the situation closely to determine if additional precautions are necessary," McAleer said.

In the event that conditions worsen, the state judiciary is readying plans to conduct virtual and telephonic proceedings in Superior Court, Tax Court, the Appellate Division, and Supreme Court, if necessary. Such proceedings pose challenges because of the need to create a record and allow for public access, and the court's technical staff is working on those details, according to a notice to the bar issued Monday.

In addition, the judiciary is making plans for dealing with any persons appearing in court who claim they were diagnosed with or exposed to the coronavirus, the notice to the bar states. The court staff is making plans for notifying local health departments of such cases, according to the notice.

New Jersey's judiciary is in regular communication with the state Department of Health for guidance on any adjustments to court procedures needed to protect court employees and the public, the court said in a statement.