Six People Fighting COVID-19 At Hoboken Hospital, Up From Zero

HOBOKEN, NJ — After Hoboken's hospital went nearly two months without admitting a COVID patient, the streak has come to an end.

Two weeks ago, there were no patients at Hoboken University Medical Center with COVID, and now there are six, Mayor Ravi Bhalla said in an update Sunday.

Of the six patients, five are Hoboken residents. Of those five, four weren't vaccinated and one is, Bhalla said. (The city only receives information on the vaccination status of its own residents in the hospital, a spokesperson clarified.)

A year ago — in December 2020 — COVID cases ramped up in town as well, with people taking vacations and attending more indoor and holiday activities. But at that time, Hoboken lost two residents by the middle of that month, after having not lost one since May 2020 — and a whopping 30 people were in the hospital with the virus. READ MORE: Hoboken Loses Second Resident In A Month To Coronavirus (December 2020)

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At that time, the city was recording approximately 83 cases a week, similar to recent weeks — so the hospitalization rate a year ago was higher.

Vaccination Rates In Hoboken

Now, a year later, two thirds of all Hoboken residents have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, including 96 percent of residents over 30. READ MORE: High Percentage Of Hoboken Residents Over 30 Got The Shot

Bhalla said Sunday that 69 percent of residents of all ages have been fully vaccinated. Of residents 12 and over, 80 percent have gotten the shot; 86 percent of residents 30 and over have gotten both doses, and 99 percent of seniors are fully vaccinated.

Appointments to be vaccinated or get a test via the city can be booked online at www.hobokennj.gov/vaccine or at www.hobokennj.gov/testing

Read more of the mayor's update, including testing and vaccine clinics, here.

Other COVID Information

• As medical professionals continue studying the new Omnicron variant — identified first in a sample in South Africa last month — they say it's more transmissible than some variants but are unsure so far how effective vaccinations are against it. More studies will be done.
• In America, as of Monday, 788,000 people have died of COVID since the start of the pandemic, which is an additional 3,000 confirmed since this past Friday.
• The daily death rate is highest right now in Wyoming, Montana, West Virginia, Michigan, and Kentucky. Of states near New Jersey, Pennsylvania's rate is high. Read the state rankings here.
  
• The CDC estimates that more than 140,000 children have lost a close caregiver to the virus.
• Vaccinations now been recommended by the CDC for adults and for children 5 and over.
• Read the statement about Omicron and find links to get tested or vaccinated in New Jersey with this link.

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