COVID Variant Rising; Keep Playdates Outside, Hoboken Mayor Says

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla released new guidance about coronavirus on Friday, saying he's seeing an "uptick" in the virus locally — and since kids under 12 can't get vaccinated, parents and people who go into places with children should take extra precautions, listed below.

Bhalla noted that state officials say "The highly transmissible delta variant is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in New Jersey. It is likely that several of our recent infections have in fact been the delta variant, as our trends typically mirror those across the state."

He wrote, "According to the data of 33 total cases in July, 11 of the [Hoboken] cases were those who were unvaccinated, 21 were breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated, and one case was an individual who had only received a first dose. In the instances of breakthrough cases in Hoboken, the COVID-19 vaccines have been 100 percent effective in preventing serious illness causing hospitalization."

The case numbers in recent days were:

July 6: 0

July 7: 1

July 8: 1

July 9: 9 (7 of these cases are backlogged from previous months)

July 10: 2

July 11: 2

July 12: 2

July 13: 0

July 14: 6

July 15: 3

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 5,080 known, confirmed cases, with fatalities remaining unchanged at 52. Hoboken's hospital

Take These Precautions

The mayor said he encourages residents, including those vaccinated, to take these precautions:

• When choosing a vacation, limiting exposure to states or regions with low vaccination rates
• Socialize mainly with vaccinated people
• "Consider postponing large indoor events such as an indoor concert or large indoor party, especially in areas of low vaccination rates. Safer options include concerts at venues like Madison Square Garden which require individuals to be fully vaccinated or have vaccinated sections, or outdoor venues."
• If you run an office space or business, a safe option is to require a mask for anyone who is unvaccinated.
• Given that vaccines are only permitted for children 12 years of age and up, prioritizing outdoor activities for children who are unvaccinated is a safer alternative than indoor playdates.
• For indoor recreation activities, summer camps, sports, and other situations, consider keeping groups small to limit large groups of unvaccinated children, and having children wear face masks when necessary.
• If you know you may be in situations where there are large crowds, consider wearing a face mask as an extra layer of protection.
• If you have the choice between staying indoors or heading outdoors when socializing with others, such as going out to dinner, remaining outdoors is the safer option, as it has been since the start the start of the pandemic.

Hoboken Vaccination Rate

• All ages: 62 percent (second dose)
• 18 and over: 69 percent (second dose)
• 65 and over: 94 percent (second dose)
• All ages: 67 percent (first dose)
• 18 and over: 76 percent (first dose)
• 65 and over: nearly 100 percent (first dose)

The CDC considers people fully vaccinated two weeks after the final dose.

Where To Get Vaccinated Or Tested

To find out updated information on where to get a coronavirus vaccine or test in Hoboken, click this link for the mayor's most recent advisory.

Other Information

• Since the vaccine is 95 percent effective against the virus, vaccinated people may still get the virus — but the vaccine has reduced the chance of hospitalization and death, medical professionals say.
• A recent report said that 98 percent to 99 percent of recent COVID deaths in America were unvaccinated people.
• More than 604,000 Americans have now died from COVID (see which states have the highest recent death rates here).
• Learn more about the Delta variant of the virus.
• A Hoboken mom has shared her story of how her family was among those battling long-term effects of the virus.
• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said last month that there won't be a statewide mask mandate for schools in the fall, and each district will get to decide.

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