Hoboken Gives Updates On Monkeypox And COVID Cases And Vaccines

HOBOKEN, NJ — Though nearly 300 new COVID cases have been reported to the city's health department from July 10-22, no one is hospitalized locally with the virus and no one has passed away from it recently, the city said in an update on Monday.

There were two people being treated in the local hospital with the virus last month, and 40 in mid-January.

However, the state said this week that statewide, COVID hospitalizations are up to the highest numbers since February, and residents should mask up in crowds.

Vaccinations In Hoboken

In Hoboken, among the city's population of people 12 and over, 99 percent have received one dose of the COVID vaccine and 86 percent have received two doses. The city has not gotten booster dose numbers, they said.

Doctors say the vaccine helps prevent severe illness and death due to variants of the virus.

The city is still offering vaccine and booster clinics. Find out more here.

See the full COVID update here.

Right now, the death rate from COVID is highest in New Mexico, Florida, Oregon, and these states.

Hoboken has lost a total of 65 residents to the virus since March 2020.

Monkeypox Vaccine Update

On Thursday, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla noted that no cases of the new monkeypox virus have been reported in Hoboken.

As of Friday, there were 118 cases confirmed in New Jersey, up from 62 last Friday.

Unlike COVID, which spread quickly and killed 460 residents in one day April 2020, health experts said that monkeypox is rarely fatal.

However, the virus can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that often begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. Health officials are hoping to keep symptoms mild and contain the virus.

The state announced last week that it's expanding vaccine eligibility to include people who were exposed and certain other categories who are more likely to transmit the virus.

Bhalla said on Thursday:

"The monkeypox vaccine is still only available in limited quantities in New Jersey. Currently, in our region, the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation (Project Living Out Loud!) In Jersey City and the North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI) in Newark have been provided vaccine doses for high risk individuals who have been exposed to monkeypox in the past14 days. If you believe you fit the criteria, please call either of the two organizations to be considered for a vaccine appointment:"

• Hyacinth AIDS Foundation/Project Living Out Loud! (Jersey City): 201-706-3480
• North Jersey Community Research Initiative (Newark): 973-483-3444, ext. 200

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed within the past 14 days can also contact their health care provider or the Hoboken Health Department at 201-420-2375 regarding testing and vaccine eligibility.

See the full local update on monkeypox here.

More Information On Cases

• Get the current case count and see information in English and Spanish about the virus in New Jersey by clicking here.
• Find out more about the vaccine and eligibility in New Jersey here.
• See which states have the most cases with this CDC graphic.