Hoboken Mayor Has "Mild" COVID-19 Symptoms After Positive Test On Christmas

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has joined the slew of elected officials in New Jersey who recently announced they have COVID-19 amid the rise of the omicron variant in New Jersey. On Saturday, Bhalla posted a Christmas message on Facebook and Twitter with a photo of his family and the words:

"Wishing everyone the best of health and happiness with friends and family this holiday season. This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19 before gathering with family. I’m thankful that I’ve been vaccinated and boosted as my symptoms are mild."

He added, "It goes to show that vaccines and boosters work and save lives. Protect your loved ones and get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already. Stay safe and be well!"

City spokesperson Marilyn Baer said Monday that Bhalla is isolating and working from home.

RELATED: Hoboken Cancels Bespoke COVID Testing, Increases Appointments With Others

"He was prudent and took a test in preparation for a family gathering," she said. "He is thankful that he is fully vaccinated and boosted as he has only mild symptoms."

Bhalla's announcement came just two days after Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop got tested in preparation for seeing family. Fulop said he tested positive but had no symptoms. As with Bhalla, Fulop also said he had received a booster. READ MORE: Jersey City Mayor Fulop Tests Positive For COVID

Medical professionals say that breakthrough COVID-19 cases caused by the new omicron variant — infections among the vaccinated — are less common among people who have received their third vaccination shot. For those who do get it, symptoms are often less severe than for those unvaccinated.

But public health officials are concerned that hospitalizations are increasing, with about 120,000 new cases and 1,200 deaths reported each day, mainly from the delta variant. They are concerned that cases could overwhelm hospitals, causing health care workers to scramble. READ MORE: How Will Omicron Affect NJ Hospitals?

In Hoboken a week ago Saturday, the mayor announced that eight people were battling COVID-19 in the city's hospital, seven of them unvaccinated. (Still, the hospitalizations were down from December 2020, when 30 people were in the hospital.) READ MORE: Eight People Hospitalized With COVID In Hoboken, 7 Unvaccinated

Hoboken's vaccination rates are:

All ages: 70 percent
12 and over: 80 percent
18 and over: 77 percent
30 and over: 87 percent
65 and over: 99 percent

Hoboken testing and vaccination clinics are listed here.

Federal health officials expressed concerns a week ago because currently 61 percent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated, but only 28 percent have gotten booster shots.

A study done of COVID-19 deaths in Texas hospitals this past fall determined that unvaccinated people were 20 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than vaccinated people.

In America, more than, 816,000 people have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The daily death rate is highest right now in these states: Alaska, Michigan, New Jersey, Arizona and Maine.

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