Two More Hoboken Residents Pass Away From Coronavirus

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said Tuesday evening that two more Hoboken residents have died of coronavirus, bringing the total fatalities in December to four — after the mile-square city went six months straight without a new fatality.

As Hoboken grapples with the second wave of the virus in New Jersey, the city also reported that 48 tests were confirmed positive on Christmas Day, and 20 the day before.

[Related: Hoboken Woman, 34: 'I Was Scared I Wouldn't Wake Up' Due To Virus]

"Hoboken now has a total of 35 COVID-19 related deaths, and an adjusted total of 1,940 cases since the beginning of the pandemic," Bhalla wrote in the alert. "The Hoboken University Medical Center is currently treating 21 patients with COVID-19, including four Hoboken residents."

Last Tuesday, Bhalla had written that the hospital was treating 31 patients, nine of which were Hoboken residents.

This week, he said, "Sadly, two additional Hoboken residents, a male in his early 70s and another male in his early 80s passed away after contracting the virus. May their memories be a continued blessing to all those who knew them."

The two other deaths this month were a woman and a man in their sixties.

Bhalla said that from Dec. 23 through this past Monday, 118 Hoboken residents tested positive.

He urged residents to avoid indoor New Year's gatherings with non-household members and said the state is limiting such gatherings to 10.

The city said in a Nixle alert on Friday that the city has added testing locations for the coming post-Christmas week. Read the list here.

Vaccination center open

Hoboken opened its own vaccination center on Monday. Health care workers in Hoboken and Hudson County will get vaccinated first. Others will follow.

Hoboken is a mile-square city of 53,000 people, located across the river from midtown Manhattan. It was one of the first cities in the region to begin closing facilities when the virus began spreading in the U.S.

337,000 death toll

More than 337,000 Americans have died of the virus as of Tuesday. A tenth of the American coronavirus deaths this year have occurred in the last two weeks.

Here are the states where the death rate has been rising most in the past week.

Recently, New Jersey reached its highest daily death toll in six months from the virus, or 97 people in one day. More than 16,000 people have died of the virus in New Jersey.

Here is more information on Hoboken coronavirus testing, statistics, schools, and more:

HOBOKEN SCHOOLS

• The schools will be remote for the first week in January after winter break ends. Students must get a test upon returning. Read more here.
• The schools remained remote for at least one week after Thanksgiving break. Read more here.
• Hoboken's Wallace Primary School recently closed temporarily after two student cases were confirmed.
• Mayor Bhalla wrote three weeks ago, "Our Health Department has confirmed that our schools are taking every possible safety measure to keep our children safe, and that there is little evidence that the schools themselves are the reason for covid-19 spread, as opposed to behavior outside the school."
• Recently, one of the city's charter schools, Elysian Charter, closed temporarily because a student tested positive for the virus.
• The Hoboken public schools started the 2020-2021 school year Monday, Sept. 14 remotely, and reopened on-site Sept. 21 for those who requested it.
• In September, the district offered a reopening plan giving parents a choice of either full-time on-site learning (until 3 p.m.) or full-time distance learning. In the buildings, there are restrictions, such as kids wearing masks and maintaining a 6-foot distance.

ONGOING CORONAVIRUS TESTING IN HOBOKEN

• Consult the latest Hoboken Nixle alert for new testing updates, and check below for general guidelines and signups.
• Prompt MD has added additional testing. Proof of residency or employment at a Hoboken business is required at the time of testing. http://www.hobokennj.gov/promptmd.
• Riverside Medical is also continuing testing for Hoboken residents. Appointments can be scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis by visiting http://www.hobokennj.gov/riverside. If a resident has signed up for a test with Riverside but can no longer make it, please call 201-863-3346 to cancel the appointment. The testing center has moved to 16th Street; read more here.
• A covid-19 test is recommended at least 5-7 days after a potential exposure, and that many who have contracted the virus do not have symptoms. Receiving a COVID-19 test prior to the 5-7 days after a potential exposure may yield inaccurate results.
• If returning from a state on New Jersey's quarantine list or have had a high-risk exposure, which includes contact of over 10 minutes to someone who has tested positive, living in the same household as someone with COVID-19 or attending a large indoor gathering without face masks, residents should self-quarantine for the full 14 days, even with a negative test result, the city says.

HOBOKEN RECREATION
Mayor Bhalla announced that winter recreation programs have been canceled in Hoboken.

LOCAL BUSINESS

• More than 50 of the city's restaurants opened the week of June 15 for outdoor dining. READ MORE.
• Some of those have added "streateries" for outdoor dining. READ MORE.
• The city of Hoboken is making it easier for restaurants to continue to offer outdoor dining through the winter months.
• Two of the city's weekly farmers' markets reopened in June. READ MORE.
• The city has been closing off certain blocks for businesses to expand and draw foot traffic. READ MORE.
• Restaurants in New Jersey can allow indoor dining at 25 percent capacity, and keep serving indoors until 10 p.m. Read more about Hoboken indoor dining here.

HOBOKEN LIBRARY

• See story here.

HOBOKEN VIRUS TRENDS

• Hoboken was one of the first cities in the region to begin closing facilities when the virus began spreading in the U.S.
• In June, after months of closures and isolation, the city went a week with only one case, and in August, there were only six cases in one week. But cases began rising in autumn with more gatherings.

NATIONAL STATISTICS

• Use this link to see the updated fatality count in the United States.
• More than 900 health care workers have died of the virus nationally.
• Others are simultaneously fighting misinformation and hoaxes as they try to fight the virus.

HOW TO GET HELP WITH HEAT, RENT, AND MORE

• During the State of Emergency in New Jersey, no tenant is permitted to be evicted from their home or apartment for the inability to pay rent. Talk to your local mayor's office if you are experiencing difficulties.
• The CARES act has made money available to help with rent in each city. More information is here.
• New Jersey residents can get help with heating and energy bills. Information is here.
• Various other avenues of relief and benefits have also been made available, including family leave for 12 weeks if you can't work due to your child's school or camp being closed, and changes to unemployment rules to help those who were at a job for a short time, or freelancing.
• Programs are being added constantly, so don't think you can't get help. Reach out to your local mayor's office to find out what kind of funds may be available to help you get through this time.

LONG-TERM CARE

• Recently, there were 159 long term care facilities with active outbreaks, the state Department of Health said this month. The state also announced that deaths at the facilities had more than doubled since May 1. The state has stopped updating the numbers at facilities without current outbreaks.
• New Jersey residents were already alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities. The state announced plans in May to increase testing at some long term care facilities and to bring in the National Guard temporarily to help make changes.
• The state released death toll statistics late in spring for long-term care facilities like rehabs and nursing homes. See the list here.
• You can report problems with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct, here.
• Some New Jersey long-term care facilities reopened for limited visits, with precautions, in July.

Here are statewide coronavirus resources:

• NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/
• General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1
• NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

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