This Was The Week That Was...The Beginning Of COVID Lockdowns In Hoboken. What's Next?

HOBOKEN, NJ — Sometimes, the further one gets from a historical event, the more details become lost. But with more than 1.1 million loved ones lost to COVID in the United States since early 2020, some can never forget.

There years ago this week, residents of Hoboken and the Tri-State area were told to stay inside due to a virus that doctors didn't know how to treat.

Residents were first told to stay indoors for two weeks, but it actually took six weeks for deaths of those already infected to plateau in New Jersey. After that time, with people staying inside, the death rate started declining.

Doctors lacked a full understanding of how to treat the coming coronavirus — initially referred to as the "novel coronavirus" — and there was a shortage of N95 protective equipment, surgical masks, and ventilators. In fact, Hoboken's hospital pleaded for 13 ventilators in late March 2020. And many first responders and medical workers couldn't stay inside, and became sick.

READ MORE: Hudson County's First Coronavirus Case Is Announced

New Jersey's worst day was April 30, when 460 people were reported to have died of the virus in one day, or an average of one person every three minutes.

Hospitals were so crowded that residents were often told to stay away unless they were having serious trouble breathing, including one Hoboken mom (and reality show star). READ MORE: Local Mom And Reality Star Tells Of Scary Coronavirus Fight At Home

After six weeks of hospitals filling up, the death rate in New Jersey started to come down.

But the crisis was far from over.

70 residents of Hoboken have succumbed to the virus and others suffered from long covid. READ MORE: Hoboken Mom Urges: Please Listen To Long-Haulers

Playgrounds, Schools, And Day Cares

In Hoboken, Mayor Ravi Bhalla shut playgrounds and day cares on March 14, then shut bars and restaurants. Public schools were open for the last time on Friday, March 13, then shifted to remote learning. (Schools in Hoboken ultimately reopened in person in September 2021, along with a remote option, and were publicly praised for their response.)

Hoboken city officials and medical professionals worked together, with CERT volunteers setting up a hotline to answer questions and schedule people for testing. The city ran an outdoor testing center at 15th Street in conjunction with Riverside Medical Group. READ MORE: Year At Helm Of Coronavirus Hotline

What's Next

Hoboken continues to run free testing and vaccination centers. Find out more here.

The city released this COVID vaccine update on March 14, 2023:

The city and the Hudson Regional Health Commission will have a clinic at 605 Jackson St. from 3 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 16. The clinic will offer Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, J&J/Janssen, and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines and updated Pfizer and Moderna boosters to those eligible 6 months old and older.

Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted. To book an appointment, go to www.hudsoncovidvax.org/.

Qualifying homebound residents unable to attend the clinic can schedule home visits for COVID-19 vaccines with the Hudson Regional Health Commission. To schedule a visit, contact the Hudson Regional Health Commission by emailing hcvax@hudsonregional.gov or leave a voicemail with your name, town, and phone number at (201) 388-1097. Once HRHC receives your request, its vaccine coordinator will call you to screen you and schedule an appointment.