Those who throw house parties in Hoboken can now get hit with a fine of up to $1,000 after the Hoboken City Council unanimously adopted the emergency ordinance and resolution on Nov. 4.
This comes after the city announced large indoor gatherings and house parties have been tied to several new COVID-19 cases as the city begins to see an uptick of infected residents.
According to the most recent figures on Nov. 6, Hoboken has had a total of 1,067 known, confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic with a total of 1,001 recoveries. Deaths remain unchanged at 31.
On Oct. 31, 21 new cases were reported, an alarming increase which reflects the highest one-day total since the end of April.
On Nov. 4, 20 new cases were reported followed by three new cases as of the morning of Nov. 6.
Paying the price
Over the past several weekends, officers with the Hoboken Police Department have responded to a number of house parties that the city said contributed directly to the spread of COVID-19.
According to the unanimously passed ordinance, residents who throw a house party could be fined between $250 to $1,000 for indoor gatherings of more than 25 people if the gathering also has other city violations, including disorderly house or noise.
This fine could be given to both the tenant and the property owner.
The council was originally scheduled to vote on the ordinance at a special meeting called by the mayor on Oct. 29, but the council failed to meet quorum.
During the Nov. 4. virtual council meeting, Councilman Michael Russo took umbrage with the hastily called meeting and the notion that he and council colleagues purposely missed the meeting, saying, “it is never nice when people question your integrity.”
“I think it’s prudent to make sure that if we are doing something associated with the pandemic that we have ample time to let everyone know that that’s something we want to do rather than ask the council to change their entire schedule two days before you are expected to vote on it,” said Russo, adding, “The reality is the mayor could’ve done an executive order as well. There are a million ways to skin a cat. It was unfortunate this is the way it happened and then to be questioned on it, I just think it’s inappropriate.”
Councilman Ruben Ramos echoed the sentiment noting he had a medical procedure that day which he had scheduled months previously, saying “to see statements out there that we weren’t showing up because we had better things to do, and we didn’t show up on purpose was like totally uncalled for.”
After the meeting, Mayor Bhalla thanked the council for its unanimous approval.
“House parties could very well become super spreader events that end up infecting our vulnerable populations and have no place in health crisis,” tweeted Bhalla. “This is our latest tool, thanks to the Council’s unanimous approval, we are using to combat the spread of COVID.”
Last month the mayor instituted a curfew for businesses, closing all bars and restaurants at midnight.
Getting tested
The Hoboken Health Department recommends getting a COVID-19 test at least five to seven days after potential exposure, to minimize inaccurate results.
Anyone with a highrisk of exposure, which includes more than 10 minutes of prolonged contact with someone who has tested positive, is instructed to quarantine for a full 14 days, even with a negative test result.
Appointments for Hoboken residents and business employees can be booked with Prompt MD at 605 Jackson St. on a first-come, first-serve basis at http://www.hobokennj.gov/promptmd with insurance information and government identification, which must be presented at the time of testing.
Business employees must present proof of employment at a Hoboken business.
Prompt MD is using PCR testing with results anticipated within 48-72 hours.
Those who did not receive the result within 72 hours can call Star Labs at 732-529-5100 or email testing@hobokennj.gov.
Appointments for Hoboken residents can be made with Riverside Medical Group under the 14th Street Viaduct on a first-come, first-serve basis by visiting http://www.hobokennj.gov/riverside along with government identification or proof of address, which must be presented at the time of testing.
Riverside Medical Group offers rapid, 15-minute tests and PCR testing.
Hoboken residents who are Riverside Medical Group patients should call their Riverside primary care office to schedule a test and should not use the online signup form.
Nonresident employees of Hoboken businesses are asked to book tests with Prompt MD due to high demand at the Riverside site.
For updates on this and other stories check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Marilyn Baer can be reached at Marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.
