Advisory
First, I hope everyone had a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday. Despite all that has occurred this year, we have a lot to be thankful for here in Hoboken. However you chose to celebrate, I wish you and your family the best of health.
I encourage any resident who gathered over Thanksgiving or the weekend with multiple families outside the household, traveled or received visitors who traveled from outside the tri-state area, or attended a large gathering of any kind, to get tested this week. Since the virus has been proven to spread among those who are asymptomatic, I encourage those residents also avoid contact with others and quarantine whenever possible until after receiving test results.
The Hoboken Health Department recommends a COVID-19 test at least 5-7 days after the latest potential exposure. If you gathered in a large group on Thanksgiving, for example, please wait until at least Wednesday to get a test. A COVID-19 test prior to at least the 5-7 days could lead to inaccurate results and may not accurately detect the virus. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you do not need to wait 5-7 days to get a test.
If you had a high-risk exposure, which includes coming into prolonged contact to someone with COVID-19, the Hoboken Health Department recommends a full 14-day quarantine, regardless of the test result.
Increasing testing options in Hoboken
Observing trends throughout the New Jersey and the country, and anticipating an increase in cases stemming from holiday gatherings, we are prioritizing increasing testing options in Hoboken. We are working towards this goal with a number of public-private partnerships, and I’m thankful to Riverside Medical Group, Prompt MD, Medicine Man Pharmacy and ivee for helping make this possible.
ivee: Our new testing partner, ivee is hosting COVID-19 testing on Wednesday, December 2 (8 am - 3:30 pm) at the Multi-Service Center (124 Grand Street, gymnasium). Testing is open by appointment to both Hoboken residents and Hoboken business employees. PCR testing is offered, with results anticipated within 48-72 hours.
Sign-up for testing: https://calendly.com/iveecovid/ivee-x-hoboken-covid-19-testing-clone-1
Prompt MD: Dr. Islam and the Prompt MD staff are providing testing on Monday (8 am – 3 pm), Thursday (8 am – 1 pm) and Friday (8 am – 1 pm) at 605 Jackson Street. Testing is open by appointment to both Hoboken residents and Hoboken business employees. PCR testing is offered, with results anticipated within 48-72 hours.
Sign-up for testing: http://www.hobokennj.gov/promptmd
Riverside Medical Group: Dr. Raj Brahmbhatt and the Riverside Medical Group staff are continuing to provide COVID-19 testing six days a week, at a new location uptown. Testing is open by appointment to Hoboken residents only. Rapid testing is offered, with results provided within 15 minutes.
Sign-up for testing: http://www.hobokennj.gov/riverside
State of New Jersey: The State Department of Health, in partnership with the City of Hoboken and Hoboken Housing Authority, is providing testing for residents at 221 Jackson Street (community room) on Friday, between 1 pm and 7 pm. Testing is open to all residents and business employees. No appointment is needed, and testing is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. PCR testing is offered, with results anticipated within 48-72 hours.
Update on Riverside Medical new location
As mentioned in a previous update, we were able to partner with Bijou Properties to help provide new indoor space for Riverside, which became necessary due to the colder months. I thank the Bijou team and Riverside Medical Group for ensuring continued COVID-19 testing for our residents at the new location, as well as to our staff from the Department of Health and Department of Environmental Services for working around the clock this past week to get the new site ready for testing, which began yesterday.
Hoboken residents and Riverside Medical Group patients without a vehicle should enter the new testing facility on Clinton Street between 15thand 16thStreets. Residents and patients driving to the facility should enter on 16thStreet between Clinton Street and Grand Street.
With the larger location, along with additional testing infrastructure obtained by Riverside Medical, we anticipate working with Riverside to provide additional rapid testing appointments in the weeks to come.
Postponement of winter recreation
As we continue through the next stage of the second wave, and with cases surging in New Jersey, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely postpone all City-run recreation programs for the winter, including all indoor sports and flag-football. We have seen some recent COVID-19 cases coming from recreation leagues, and given the expected increase in cases, we feel it would be irresponsible from a health perspective to continue with indoor sports where social distancing is not practical.
Advisory for out-of-state travel
Previously, the State of New Jersey issued 14-day quarantine advisories for travel to identified hot spot states with rising COVID-19 rates. The State is now advising any resident traveling outside of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware to quarantine for 14 days after returning. The State continues to strongly discourage all unnecessary out-of-state travel to the greatest extent possible.
Shop local and avoid the crowds
This year, one of the best ways to both stay safe and support our struggling business owners, is to stay local, and shop local. Avoid the crowds at shopping malls or big box stores, and consider patronizing many of the great businesses here in Hoboken.
Please take the necessary precautions
We continue to battle a second wave here in Hoboken and across the State. Please take precautions to help keep our community safe: avoid gatherings with others outside the household, especially in indoor settings, wear a face mask outside the home, social distance whenever possible, and wash your hands.
Sincerely,
Ravi S. Bhalla
Mayor
Update from Mayor Bhalla on COVID-19 (11/29); sign-up for testing this week
Below is an update from Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla on COVID-19:
Impact of COVID-19 in Hoboken
The Hoboken Health Department reported the following, new COVID-19 cases:
November 25: 27
November 26: 10
November 27: 13
November 28: 21
November 22: 10 (not previously provided)
- 1,430 known, confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic
- 1,081 full recoveries as of Thursday
- Fatalities remain unchanged at 31
- 17 hospitalized patients at Hoboken University Medical Center, including four Hoboken residents
- 3,851 new cases today
- 37 confirmed COVID-19 related fatalities over two days, 15,149 total
- Over 4,000 cases on 10 of the past 15 days
- 1.16 rate of transmission (anything over 1 indicates the virus is spreading)
- 1,439 hospitalizations, 284 patients in intensive care
First, I hope everyone had a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday. Despite all that has occurred this year, we have a lot to be thankful for here in Hoboken. However you chose to celebrate, I wish you and your family the best of health.
I encourage any resident who gathered over Thanksgiving or the weekend with multiple families outside the household, traveled or received visitors who traveled from outside the tri-state area, or attended a large gathering of any kind, to get tested this week. Since the virus has been proven to spread among those who are asymptomatic, I encourage those residents also avoid contact with others and quarantine whenever possible until after receiving test results.
The Hoboken Health Department recommends a COVID-19 test at least 5-7 days after the latest potential exposure. If you gathered in a large group on Thanksgiving, for example, please wait until at least Wednesday to get a test. A COVID-19 test prior to at least the 5-7 days could lead to inaccurate results and may not accurately detect the virus. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you do not need to wait 5-7 days to get a test.
If you had a high-risk exposure, which includes coming into prolonged contact to someone with COVID-19, the Hoboken Health Department recommends a full 14-day quarantine, regardless of the test result.
Increasing testing options in Hoboken
Observing trends throughout the New Jersey and the country, and anticipating an increase in cases stemming from holiday gatherings, we are prioritizing increasing testing options in Hoboken. We are working towards this goal with a number of public-private partnerships, and I’m thankful to Riverside Medical Group, Prompt MD, Medicine Man Pharmacy and ivee for helping make this possible.
ivee: Our new testing partner, ivee is hosting COVID-19 testing on Wednesday, December 2 (8 am - 3:30 pm) at the Multi-Service Center (124 Grand Street, gymnasium). Testing is open by appointment to both Hoboken residents and Hoboken business employees. PCR testing is offered, with results anticipated within 48-72 hours.
Sign-up for testing: https://calendly.com/iveecovid/ivee-x-hoboken-covid-19-testing-clone-1
Prompt MD: Dr. Islam and the Prompt MD staff are providing testing on Monday (8 am – 3 pm), Thursday (8 am – 1 pm) and Friday (8 am – 1 pm) at 605 Jackson Street. Testing is open by appointment to both Hoboken residents and Hoboken business employees. PCR testing is offered, with results anticipated within 48-72 hours.
Sign-up for testing: http://www.hobokennj.gov/promptmd
Riverside Medical Group: Dr. Raj Brahmbhatt and the Riverside Medical Group staff are continuing to provide COVID-19 testing six days a week, at a new location uptown. Testing is open by appointment to Hoboken residents only. Rapid testing is offered, with results provided within 15 minutes.
Sign-up for testing: http://www.hobokennj.gov/riverside
State of New Jersey: The State Department of Health, in partnership with the City of Hoboken and Hoboken Housing Authority, is providing testing for residents at 221 Jackson Street (community room) on Friday, between 1 pm and 7 pm. Testing is open to all residents and business employees. No appointment is needed, and testing is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. PCR testing is offered, with results anticipated within 48-72 hours.
Update on Riverside Medical new location
As mentioned in a previous update, we were able to partner with Bijou Properties to help provide new indoor space for Riverside, which became necessary due to the colder months. I thank the Bijou team and Riverside Medical Group for ensuring continued COVID-19 testing for our residents at the new location, as well as to our staff from the Department of Health and Department of Environmental Services for working around the clock this past week to get the new site ready for testing, which began yesterday.
Hoboken residents and Riverside Medical Group patients without a vehicle should enter the new testing facility on Clinton Street between 15thand 16thStreets. Residents and patients driving to the facility should enter on 16thStreet between Clinton Street and Grand Street.
With the larger location, along with additional testing infrastructure obtained by Riverside Medical, we anticipate working with Riverside to provide additional rapid testing appointments in the weeks to come.
Postponement of winter recreation
As we continue through the next stage of the second wave, and with cases surging in New Jersey, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely postpone all City-run recreation programs for the winter, including all indoor sports and flag-football. We have seen some recent COVID-19 cases coming from recreation leagues, and given the expected increase in cases, we feel it would be irresponsible from a health perspective to continue with indoor sports where social distancing is not practical.
Advisory for out-of-state travel
Previously, the State of New Jersey issued 14-day quarantine advisories for travel to identified hot spot states with rising COVID-19 rates. The State is now advising any resident traveling outside of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware to quarantine for 14 days after returning. The State continues to strongly discourage all unnecessary out-of-state travel to the greatest extent possible.
Shop local and avoid the crowds
This year, one of the best ways to both stay safe and support our struggling business owners, is to stay local, and shop local. Avoid the crowds at shopping malls or big box stores, and consider patronizing many of the great businesses here in Hoboken.
Please take the necessary precautions
We continue to battle a second wave here in Hoboken and across the State. Please take precautions to help keep our community safe: avoid gatherings with others outside the household, especially in indoor settings, wear a face mask outside the home, social distance whenever possible, and wash your hands.
Sincerely,
Ravi S. Bhalla
Mayor
Address/Location
City of Hoboken, NJ
94 Washington St
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 201-420-2000
