Mayor: Volunteers serve 15,000 meals to Hoboken seniors this week!

We are all lucky to live in such a warm, caring community: #HobokenRocks. 

Today's update from City Hall includes new-news: the formation of a Senior Task Force, the distribution of senior meals, good news from the HUMC plus a reminder for Hoboken residents to wear a mask outside of your homes.  Yes, I have noticed that many residents out and about are not wearing masks. Why not?

Tragically, two more seniors have lost their battle against this vicious disease.  My deepest sympathies to their families and friends.  

The total number of covid-19 positive cases in Hoboken is 396, with 21 deaths.  

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Below is an update from Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla for Hoboken residents:

I send my thanks to our local Girl Scouts, who collected and donated over 170 face masks for the Hoboken Shelter! I appreciate their continued commitment to assisting those in need. The Girl Scouts will continue to collect face masks at City Hall in the basement conference room (Newark Street entrance at 94 Washington Street).

Impact of COVID-19 in Hoboken

Yesterday, the Hoboken Health Department reported only one additional confirmed COVID-19 case, for a total of 396 in Hoboken. We sadly lost two longtime members of our senior community, with a female in her mid 60s and a female in her mid 70s, for a total of 21 fatalities in Hoboken. Our hearts are with their families and friends during these difficult times.

Hazardous weather outlook and wind advisory

Although not connected to COVID-19, the National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and wind advisory for this afternoon, to last until tonight. We are expected to have strong thunderstorms that could cause flooding, and wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. Please secure loose objects and bring them inside. Advisory no-parking signs, as well as barricades have been placed in flood prone intersections.

Hoboken University Medical Center

I’m glad to share that after several weeks of trying times, the Hoboken University Medical Center has seen a decrease in overall COVID-19 cases. It has also seen a reduction in ventilator use, both of which are encouraging signs for Hoboken and the region. Residents are asked to continue to call their primary care physicians for non-emergency matters.

Combating COVID-19 and remaining vigilant

The battle against this virus is unlike anything we have ever seen. One challenge is that it is difficult to see the deadly impact this virus has on our residents. Every day, I spend time making calls to first responders and community members that have COVID-19, or to grieving families that have lost a love one to this horrible disease. It’s heartbreaking to listen of an officer who is struggling on the phone to speak to me because of shortness of breath, or a daughter who lost a mother who was diagnosed as healthy just days before quickly plummeting and falling victim to COVID-19. These are real people. These are our neighbors, our friends. They are a part of our community and our Hoboken family. I make these difficult calls and listen to these stories every day. I often feel helpless. It breaks my heart and frustrates me that oftentimes, I cannot do more to save the lives of our residents.

I want residents to understand that it is in this context that I find it highly frustrating to also see large gatherings of people playing catch on the waterfront and other areas, lifting weights, walking around without masks or face covers, and more. Please understand that there are people suffering in Hoboken. You may not know them directly, but they are our neighbors and we owe them an obligation to act responsibly. I may sound like a broken record, but I again urge all residents to consider their actions and understand that non-essential activity could lead to more COVID-19 infections, and potentially more fatalities. Please help do your part, and curtail this non-essential activity, understanding the pain and suffering others are going through, even though it may not be visible or apparent to you.

The inconvenience of wearing a face cover for your 15-minute walk is no doubt inconvenient, but it’s nothing in terms of what some people are going through right now and taking on this small inconvenience could very well save the life of one of your neighbors. Even though our overall cases may be decreasing, we must continue to be vigilant to ensure COVID-19 does not spread further in Hoboken.

City Finances and COVID-19

As mentioned yesterday and last week, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on Hoboken’s finances, like many municipalities and States across the country. According to Governor Murphy, The State of New Jersey itself is facing billions of dollars in revenue shortfalls. I believe it’s important to communicate about the impact of the virus not only on public health, but also to the City as each week the crisis creates additional stress on Hoboken’s finances.

Comparing the revenues of mid-March to mid-April to a year ago, the City is down over $1 million in typical revenue received. This does not include all of the added COVID-19 expenses such as COVID-19 testing, disinfecting of senior and Hoboken Housing Authority buildings, meals for seniors in need, and additional public safety costs.

We won’t unfortunately know the ultimate impact as several factors are at play including the length of the region’s lockdown, and stages of reopening our State and local economy. There’s a lot in flux right now, and projections can change every week. We are tracking all of these expenses and will seek opportunities for reimbursement for these expenses. However, the extent and timing of reimbursement is not also fully known at this time.

We will continue to provide more information as our finance team in City Hall works around the clock to help evaluate every option we have at the local level. It’s clear that municipalities in states like New Jersey that have been hit hardest by COVID-19 will need federal aid through the next stimulus bill or additional legislation to help offset the unavoidable impacts to our budgets, which I’ve communicated to our federal elected officials.

Antibody testing

Many residents have asked when antibody testing is coming to Hoboken. The short answer is that we’re currently examining various options and hope to have updates on this soon. I recognize that having this testing available is important for our region to take steps toward a new normal. While a full normal may not be until we have a vaccine, antibody testing is critical to understand who may have had COVID-19 and may potentially have a level of immunity to the virus.

Senior efforts

Hoboken’s efforts to feed seniors in senior buildings and keep them indoors continues this week. We’ve had over 100 volunteers pack and distribute over 15,000 meals over the past week, with more to come. As a reminder, if you know of a senior who needs a meal that may not reside in a senior building, please call the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) hotline at City Hall at 201-420-5625.

Additionally, a new senior check-in program has been set up through a Senior Citizen Task Force for those who may need help or receive updated information. Seniors can either call the City Hall hotline, or call or text Councilwoman Vanessa Falco, who has volunteered to serve as a point of contact, at 410-949-4311. Thank you to Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro, the Hoboken Housing Authority, the City Council, Hoboken Community Center, and Freeholder Anthony Romano for initiating this committee.

Thank you and please stay safe indoors,

Ravi S. Bhalla

Mayor