Dear Neighbors,
Happy New Year! 🎊
Here’s the latest on what’s happening in our community.
COVID-19 Updates
The daily rate of positive tests in Hoboken is on the rise. The transmission rate for NJ had been below 1.0 for several months, reflecting that for each person who gets COVID, it is spread to less than one other person. Then, with the spike of the Delta variant, New Jersey’s transmission rate had been at or above 1.0 for some time before dipping back below 1.0 once more. But now, with the Omicron variant’s impact, New Jersey’s transmission rate is at 1.35.
As of January 13th, over 6.4 million New Jerseyans have been fully vaccinated with over 13.7 million doses administered in New Jersey. As of January 10th, Hoboken’s positive test results total 8,385 cases confirmed since the start of the pandemic. In my last newsletter, there were 7,322 positive cases. Please stay vigilant, practice social distancing when necessary, wash your hands, and stay safe.
In July, we celebrated an extended stretch of 60 days of having no COVID patients at Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC). For the first time in over a month, HUMC again is hospitalizing patients with 40 people now admitted at HUMC. Eleven are Hoboken Residents with four being unvaccinated. If you have any reason to believe you have been exposed to COVID, please quarantine and then schedule an appointment for a COVID test 5-7 days for those fully vaccinated and immediately for those unvaccinated after potential exposure. To find out when you should get tested, click here.
Sadly, in the past two weeks, one more COVID-19 related death was announced in our community, a man in his mid 60s, increasing Hoboken’s COVID death toll to 57 since the start of the pandemic. I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to each Hoboken family that has endured this unimaginable pain and loss.
New CDC Guidelines
New guidance from the CDC has shortened the isolation guidelines for those who tested positive from 10 days to 5 days, followed by another 5 days of wearing a facemask when around others if they are asymptomatic or if their symptoms are resolving.
In addition, health experts, including Dr. Ashish Jha, recommended receiving a negative rapid COVID-19 test before ending the isolation period after 5 days. You can read more about the CDC’s new guidelines here.
FDA approves Pfizer booster for children ages 12 – 15
- 12 through 15-year-olds are approved as individuals eligible for a single booster dose.
- The time between the completion of the 2-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and a booster dose is reduced to five months.
- Certain immunocompromised children between the ages of 5 and 11 are approved for a third primary series dose.
Helping preserve testing appointments
As a result of the high demand for testing, the city is asking residents and business staff to only use the City-run testing sites twice a month, unless there has been an exposure or symptoms exist. Considering the high demand for and the limited number of available tests in our area, this will make sure those who require testing can arrange an appointment.
Please cancel appointments 24 hours in advance if you cannot attend as this will allow someone else to be seen at our clinics. The "change/cancel appointment" button can be found in the booking confirmation email.
Many pharmacies restock rapid testing kits on a regular basis, so if you have the budget, consider buying them to use when you need them.
The NJ Department of Health and Vault Medical Services also offer free, at-home COVID-19 saliva test kits. To order your kit go to learn.vaulthealth.com/nj.
Special Election January 25th — School Bond Referendum
A referendum on the Hoboken Board of Education’s proposed new high school for the City, as part of the District’s long-range facility plan, will be held Tuesday, January 25th. The Board of Education’s architects presented their plans to the Planning Board in December which you can watch here, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. The public can also see and learn a lot about the BoE’s holistic plan in a helpful 10-minute animation video demonstrating the vision for the new High School facility that you can watch here.
Questions asked at a series of public meetings hosted by the BoE have been put together into a helpful FAQ that you can review here. (This is a “living document” — periodically updated with new information in response to new questions.)
You can also review an informational FlipBook about this project here or email your questions or requests for more information to ProposedNewHHS@hoboken.k12.nj.us. There will be one more community meeting, on January 17th at 7pm at Hoboken High School, as we approach a January 25, 2022 referendum on whether the community supports a $241 million bond issue to underwrite the cost of these improvements for Hoboken’s School District.
Voting by Mail
To receive a Vote by Mail (VBM) by mail, The Hudson County Clerk must receive your applications by Tuesday, January 18 at 257 Cornelison Ave., 4th Floor, in Jersey City. After receiving the application, the Hudson County Clerk will then send the actual ballot to the voter.
Voters who have previously requested a VBM ballot should have received them from the Hudson County Clerk.
There are two primary ways to submit a VBM - by mail or by one of two secure election drop boxes:
- Return your VBM by placing it in your nearest mailbox using the U.S. Postal Service. The ballot must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, Jan. 25 and received by the Board of Elections.
- You can also drop off your ballot at two secure ballot drop boxes in Hoboken; one at the Hoboken City Hall at 94 Washington Street on Newark Street, and a new one at the Stevens University Gateway Building at Hudson Street and Sixth Street. You must return your mail-in ballot by Tuesday, Jan. 25, before 8 pm, if you are using a drop box to submit your ballot.
Voting on Election Day
Residents can vote at their registered polling places between 6am and 8pm on Tuesday, January 25th. Polling locations can be found here.
For more information on the referendum, poll locations, how and where to vote go here.
The City of Hoboken’s New Renewable Energy Program
Mayor Bhalla announced the launch of the City's new renewable energy program that will allow residents to get more of their energy from green sources.
The Council’s Environmental Services Subcommittee (on which I served the past two years) has worked for years on this effort with the City. The energy market now allows the City to offer residents an option for 100% renewable electricity.
According to state law, electricity suppliers must obtain at least 23.5 percent of their load from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, wave, tidal, landfill gas, and others. With the Hoboken Renewable Energy Program, the City will offer residents 10 percent more electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar through a new partnership with Direct Energy.
Furthermore, residents will be able to opt-in to have up to 100 percent of their electricity derived from renewable sources, or opt-out and maintain their current state minimum energy supply.
Specifically, this program provides 10 percent more clean, green energy for 12.84 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to the 13.3 cents per kilowatt hour charged by PSE&G at the time of the bid. If you choose to have 100 percent green energy, the cost per kilowatt hour is only 14.54 cents per kilowatt hour. The program will begin on March 1, 2022, and run through November 30, 2023. There is no risk in joining the Hoboken Renewable Energy Program because residents may choose any option for participation and can opt up to 100 percent green energy or opt out at any time without incurring any fees or penalties.
PSE&G will continue to provide electricity to residents and to bill residents for their monthly bills, while Direct Energy will provide residents renewable energy through the Hoboken Renewable Energy Program. Residents will receive one bill from PSE&G, Direct Energy will not send residents a separate bill.
Residents have until Jan. 31, 2022, to opt-out of the program, or they will be automatically enrolled with standard baseline service starting in March 2022. Here is the link to opt-out or opt-up to 100 percent renewable electricity.
The City has made great strides towards its goals of achieving net-zero energy by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050 as outlined in the City’s Climate Action Plan. Through the Sustainable Jersey program, the City has been recertified as a Silver municipality, a LEED Gold City, and it has been ranked A- by the CDP-ICLEI unified climate reporting system, a global rating system for climate action.
The Office of Constituent Services Returns
Mayor Bhalla announced lifelong Hoboken resident — and my friend — Nora Martínez DeBenedetto will become the Coordinator of a newly established Office of Constituent Services on February 1st.
Born and raised in Hoboken, Nora, has been involved in our community for many years as a volunteer, coordinating the City's annual Art in the Park program since 2008 and serving on the executive board of the Hoboken Democratic Committee since 2018. Nora is a founding member and volunteer manager of Hoboken’s Uptown Farmers Market, was part of the Strategic Plan Committee for The Hudson School, and has organized community voter registration drives. Nora earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University and Master of Education from New Jersey City University. Currently, Nora is an Early Childhood Educator at the Kaplan Preschool.
Heading the Office of Constituent Services, Nora will coordinate constituent inquiries and requests with City departments and agencies on behalf of our residents including handling counseling and referrals for social services, tenant assistance, education, housing and employment inquiries, various quality-of-life issues, violations of City codes, and general questions regarding City services.
Nora is a great fit for the Office of Constituent Services. Congratulations and good luck!
COVID and Travel
The CDC has issued travel recommendations for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. All travelers leaving the State should check with the travel destination and transportation carrier (i.e., airline, cruise ship) to see if there are additional health and safety protocols or requirements, such as proof of a negative COVID-19 test within days of departure. Travelers should also check with their employers, schools, and other entities that may have quarantine policies.
The CDC recommends delaying your travel until you are fully vaccinated.
Domestic Travel
The CDC advises that unvaccinated individuals should get tested 1-3 days before their trip, 3-5 days after travel, and stay home and self-quarantine for 5 days after domestic travel. Vaccinated New Jersey residents are no longer required to quarantine when traveling domestically outside the state. For more information, click here for the CDC’s guidance for domestic travel.
International Travel
The CDC requires all air passengers arriving in the US from a foreign country to get tested for COVID-19 no more than 1 day before their flight departs and present their negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 before boarding the flight. For more details on international travel from the CDC click here.
COVID Testing Updates
To get the current Hoboken COVID testing and hours click here.
Free Testing for Hoboken Residents and Business Employees:
605/601 Jackson Street (Administered by Medicine Man)
Date: Monday to Saturday
Time: 9am - 5pm Mon/Tues, 3:30 - 8pm Wed/Thurs, 9am - 4pm Friday, 9am - 1pm Saturday
Location: 601 Jackson Street
Type of testing: PCR
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
605 Jackson Street (Administered by PromptMD)
Date: Wednesday, Thursday
Time: 8 am - 3 pm
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Type of testing: PCR
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
601/605 Jackson Street (Administered by Riverside)
Date: Tuesday, Saturday
Time: 9 am - 2 pm
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Type of testing: Rapid (15 Minute), PCR
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
City MD
City MD at 231 Washington Street also offers COVID-19 tests. You can walk in without an appointment and get tested during regular hours.
COVID Vaccination News
As of January 13th, nearly 100% of our seniors (65 and older) have received their first dose, and nearly 100% of our seniors are fully vaccinated. Thanks to our seniors for stepping up and protecting themselves and our community!
95% of Hoboken residents 12 and older have been provided with at least one dose, and 82% are fully vaccinated.
92% of Hoboken residents 18 and older have been provided with at least one dose, and 79% are fully vaccinated.
Nearly 100% of Hoboken residents 30 and older have been provided with at least one dose, and 88% are fully vaccinated.
83% of all Hoboken residents have been provided with at least one dose, and 71% are fully vaccinated.
Mayor Bhalla and the Hoboken Health Department continue collaborating with local providers to offer a free COVID-19 vaccine and booster clinic this week for Hoboken residents and employees of Hoboken businesses at the following location and times:
Walk-in Vaccination Clinics
Where: 601 Jackson Street
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees, Hoboken students
Day: Tuesday
Time: 3 pm - 8 pm (Tuesday)
Vaccine Offered: Pediatric Pfizer, and Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J boosters
Ages: 5-11 (Pfizer Pediatric), 18+ (booster)
Administered By: Medicine Man Pharmacy and Compounding
Where: 601 Jackson Street
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees, Hoboken students
Day: Monday and Thursday
Time: 4 pm - 7 pm
Vaccine Offered: Pediatric Pfizer and Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J boosters
Ages: 5-11 (Pfizer Pediatric), 18+ (booster)
Administered By: Hoboken Family Pharmacy
To get current Hoboken information on the City’s vaccination and clinic schedules click here as new information is posted daily.
If you are a Hoboken resident and would like a copy of your vaccination record, please contact LMedeiros@hobokennj.gov. Vaccination records are also accessible for all New Jersey residents through the Docket app.
CVS pharmacies in Hoboken Downtown, Midtown, and Uptown locations also supply the COVID-19 vaccine. Walgreens pharmacies in Hoboken Downtown and its two Uptown locations are also supplying the COVID-19 vaccine. You can also receive the vaccine at the County’s vaccination center in Kearny. Click here to make an appointment.
Coffee with Cohen . . . the home edition
Last year, to practice social distancing, rather than eliminate my monthly Coffee with Cohen events, I turned to the internet. At my last event on January 3rd, Councilman Joe Quintero, discussed his experience as a first-time candidate for public office, his views on the high school bond referendum and much more. Over 460 people have watched this event and you can check it out here.
My next Coffee with Cohen event will be January 24th at noon. I hope to see you there. Do you have any questions? Send them to HobokenPhil@gmail.com as I try to address each one. These events are hosted on my Facebook page Philcohenforcouncil and you can watch them here.
You can always follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. If you have any questions or concerns, or if I can be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com.
Phil Cohen
Hoboken City Councilman
Hoboken, New Jersey
HobokenPhil@gmail.com
(862) 234-9053
P.S. You can learn more about me and my ideas for Hoboken (as well as read this newsletter and my prior newsletters) on my website philcohen.org.
