Hoboken Orders Gyms And Movie Theaters To Close Amid Coronavirus

HOBOKEN, NJ — A day after closing all playgrounds, ball courts, and day care centers in the city of Hoboken, Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced on Saturday that the city was telling all gyms and movie theaters to close.

[UPDATE: The city later imposed a curfew on residents and ordered restaurants and bars to only do takeout/delivery; see story here.]

Hoboken is a mile-square city of 53,000 people, many of whom commute to New York City, which reported its first coronavirus death on Saturday afternoon. New Jersey reported its second coronavirus death late Saturday, a woman in her 50s.

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The intent of these measures is to reduce social distancing, a process explained on Friday on Facebook live by a regional health officer who is also the head of New Jersey's organization of the New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials.

Meanwhile, houses of worship in town offered online services (see photo) following words from the Archdiocese of Newark that in-person mass wasn't mandatory. All Saints Parish announced Sunday services on Facebook Live.

Hoboken's mayor sent out this letter on Saturday:

<blockquote>In consultation with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), we continue to take proactive steps to help limit the spread of COVID-19 within our community. To that end, OEM has made the decision to close gyms, all health clubs, day cares and movie theatres, which will take effect today, March 14.

This is in addition to the closures of additional city facilities announced on Friday including City Hall (phone or email only), playgrounds, recreation centers, and ballfields. OEM has made attempts to contact all gyms and health clubs in Hoboken, some of which have already closed their facilities.

I completely recognize that these decisions will undoubtedly cause an inconvenience for residents and in most cases, alter our day to day lives. But, we have to take into account the very serious predictions outlined by health experts from across the United States and the world, that the spread of COVID-19 is much likely to get worse before it improves. This is the challenge we are living with on a daily basis, and while it is far from ideal, we’re doing everything we can now to protect the safety of our residents. I greatly appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding during these unprecedented times. I strongly urge residents to continue to take every measure possible in order to practice social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and washing your hands and sanitizing frequently.</blockquote>

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

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