Starting on Monday, Bayonne City Hall will temporarily close to the public to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, a decision made shortly after it was revealed that there are currently 46 city residents battling the disease.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Please be advised that City Hall will be closed to the public starting Monday, March 31st. We will continue to service the public by phone and mail between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This change is temporary and is being employed in order to reduce exposure,” Mayor Jimmy Davis wrote on social media.
Minutes before, the city’s office of emergency management disclosed that there are 46 city residents that have tested positive for the coronavirus: 36 who are recovering at home and 10 who are hospitalized.
Bayonne OEM also indicates that they are following U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines by not including patients that have fully recovered in their overall tally of COVID-19 patients.
The Peninsula City recorded their first fatality on Wednesday, with officials noting at the time that they still had 26 patients remaining.
Yesterday marked the first time Bayonne residents had a drive-through testing facility at the Don Ahern Veterans Memorial Stadium, effort in conjunction with the Bayonne Medical Center/CarePoint Health.
A spokesman for CarePoint said yesterday that the plan is to eventually open the testing up for first responders and healthcare providers, as well as other residents after that.
The New Jersey Department of Health said this afternoon that there are 594 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hudson County, with county government indicating last night that there have been six deaths recorded.