Hoboken mayor: residents who attended Friday protest should get a COVID-19 test

Folks,  aren't you glad to see that the City is providing public health guidelines for those who attended Friday's BLM protest march? 

Because as much as we all tried to social-distance with masks on, let's face it: it was impossible to do at every moment (unless one stood far out from the crowd). Furthermore, did you  know that your eyeballs are entry portals for teeny, tiny SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2)?  Yes. 

All of us who attended, or had a son or daughter there, must realize that we may have been exposed to coronavirus, a risk we all took to attend. 

Now, if you are a brazen idiot, like Councilman Mike DeFusco, you post boastful images of yourself riding around Hoboken on June 6- the day after 10,000 people marched in Hoboken- without a mask on!   I always thought this dude was a  COVID-19 denying Trumper. 

HOBOKEN: DO NOT FOLLOW THIS EXAMPLE:

Hoboken Councilman who didn't practice covid-19 mitigation the day after thousands marched in Hoboken

OR THIS EXAMPLE:

Hoboken Councilman who didn't practice covid-19 mitigation from the start!

New Jersey is still infested with highly contagious, deadly COVID-19. 

So it is safe to assume that Hoboken may see a spike in cases as a consequence of the thousands from New York and New Jersey who marched here on June 5th.

But... Hoboken residents who attended the march can mitigate coronavirus spread in Hoboken by:

(1) continuing to social distance and wear your mask outdoors!

(2) getting tested for coronavirus! 

In fact, today Mayor Bhalla has put out the word to residents who attended the Friday protests: get tested for coronavirus.

The Mayor's advisory came by Facebook...

And it came by Nixle and the City of Hoboken website...

Mayor Bhalla urges residents who attended Friday's peaceful demonstration to get COVID-19 test

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken ask all residents who attended Friday’s peaceful demonstration for racial justice to make an appointment for a COVID-19 test.

Health experts, along with Governor Murphy, have also asked any participant in a demonstration to get a test, out of an abundance of caution, to protect the health and safety of local communities. Residents can schedule a test with their primary care physician or utilize Riverside Medical’s testing facility which is open to all residents by appointment.

To make an appointment for a COVID-19 test through the City’s partnership with Riverside Medical, which is open to all residents, please call the Community Emergency Response Team hotline at 201-420-5621 Monday through Friday, from 9 am until 5 pm. Symptoms of COVID-19 are not needed to receive a test.

“Friday’s demonstration was a powerful statement in the struggle for racial equality,” said Mayor Bhalla. “At the same time, to keep our community safe, I ask any resident who attended the event to please schedule a COVID-19 test given the practical difficulties of social distancing at the demonstration.”

On the advice of health experts, the City recommends residents who attended the demonstration, self-isolate whenever possible and avoid any contact with vulnerable populations, including the elderly, until receiving the results of a COVID-19 test.

If a resident does not have health insurance, the City will pay for the cost of a test with Riverside Medical. Riverside and the City have also made testing available to any employee of any Hoboken business in advance of a gradual re-opening. The results of a COVID-19 test at the Riverside site are provided within 15 minutes, on site.

Got that?