A Hoboken man in his 40s is the city’s first presumptive positive case of the coronavirus virus, Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Today, I was informed by the Hoboken Health Department that the first known positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Hoboken was identified as a male in his 40’s. The affected individual has been kept in self-isolation at home,” the mayor said in a statement.
” … Once he felt symptoms that he thought could be from COVID-19, he immediately reached out to his physician, was tested, and began self-isolation before even receiving the result. Once he knew he tested positive for COVID-19, he continued self-isolation. These responsible decisions allowed our Hoboken Health Department to proactively reach out to those who were in contact with him, and self-quarantine as directed by the Health Department.”
He continued that anyone who may have been in contact with the patient are being notified and being recommended for self-quarantine, per the New Jersey Department of Health guidelines, also stating that the patient was “a model case” for how to respond to symptoms.
“To be clear, we unfortunately anticipate the likelihood of additional positive COVID-19 cases to be confirmed in the days and weeks ahead, which have not yet been discovered,” he added.
“However, we are doing everything possible to limit the spread of COVID-19 through proactive measures and regulations. I greatly appreciate the community’s cooperation during this challenging time.”
The Hoboken Office of Emergency Management declared a state of emergency yesterday, ultimately closely all schools for two weeks, effective Monday.
Additionally, Bhalla announced this evening that street sweeping will be suspended, fields, rec facilities, daycares and playgrounds will be closed, and making City Hall available to the public via phone, email, or web interface.
“To limit travel and congregation within City Hall, and to protect employees, we are closing City Hall to the public. However, services will continue to operate either within City Hall or remotely by employees,” he explained.
“Members of the public must call the respective department in City Hall and speak to a representative or leave a message, or send an email to the respective employee or department head, that can be found at http://www.hobokennj.gov and choosing the “departments†tab under “governmentâ€.
He also noted that every service offered by the parking utility in person is now available online.
This is now the third case of COVID-19 in Hudson County: a 32-year-old West New York man who is making a swift recovery and a 41-year-old Jersey City woman who lives Downtown, which the city announced this morning.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.Â
