Hoboken Forms Coronavirus Taskforce; Schools Release Updated Plan

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken schools joined numerous districts throughout the state who responded, over the weekend, to recently updated state guidelines about preparing for novel coronavirus.

Also over the weekend, Hoboken City Hall announced that it had formed a local coronavirus task force.

(As of Sunday, six people in New Jersey were identified as having the virus, including a new case from West New York.)

Late on Thursday, the state told public school officials to make contingency plans to close if the novel coronavirus begins spreading among their school community. They said that students who learn at home could count up to 14 home instruction days toward the state's 180-day school requirement.

As a result, districts around the state began updating their school websites and sending out information Friday and Saturday.

Cranford posted a letter Friday night saying they would close for one day just to prepare. Other districts, like Millburn, informed their school communities that they'd start working on "virtual lessons" for home instruction.

Over the weekend, Hoboken Superintendent of Schools Christine Johnson posted updated information as well.

She wrote, "On Friday, March 6th, I participated in another conference call hosted by the Hudson County Office of the Department of Education. During this call, superintendents were told that they may be asked at some point to close preemptively or reactively by the New Jersey Department of Education, New Jersey Department of Health, or the local/regional health departments. As a result, all districts were directed to develop plans for 14 to 21 days of instruction and special education services that could be delivered via remote access for students in preschool through grade 12. "

She said the Hoboken schools were not asked to close, but are working on a plan to submit to the county by the end of the week.

She also wrote, "We continue to be vigilant about bullying or targeted actions against any student whose ethnic origin or background is of a nation identified by the CDC to have travel restrictions. I have also asked each of our school principals to work closely with their nurses and guidance counselors to help assist any child who exhibits any anxiety or fear regarding COVID-19."

The newsletter can be found here.

Meanwhile, on Sunday evening, Mayor Ravi Bhalla informed residents that he'd started a coronavirus task force.

In an email, he said:

<blockquote>

Under my direction, the city of Hoboken has formed a Coronavirus task force that consists of members of the Hoboken Health Department, Hoboken Police Department, Hoboken Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management, Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Hoboken Public School District, Stevens Institute of Technology, and my office. All departments have begun preparations should the Coronavirus be confirmed in Hoboken.

City staff continues to implement enhanced sanitizing procedures in public buildings. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, the best thing residents can do is to stay home if you are sick.

Symptoms of the Coronavirus could include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, which could appear in as few as two days or up to 14 days after exposure. If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, please call your healthcare provider first instead of going to the emergency room. If you are having a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1. Additionally, if you are in Hoboken and believe you were exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, you may also contact the Hoboken Health Department at 201-420-2000 ext. 5211. Healthcare providers with questions may also contact the Hoboken Health Department.</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.

Don't miss updates in Hoboken and Hudson County as they are announced. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters here.