The City of Hoboken ended a mask mandate on February 7, marking a turning point in the local response to the pandemic. (Correction: the mask mandate ended on February 9.)
In a press release, Ravi Bhalla, mayor of Hoboken, said the city repealed the mask requirements this week because Hudson County’s positivity rate fell below 5%. “The numbers make it clear that cases are significantly falling in the region,” Bhalla said. “This data point, combined with Hoboken’s high vaccination rate, robust testing options, and low hospitalizations, make it possible for us to lift our indoor mask requirement.”
Bhalla said that local businesses are no longer required to ask customers to wear face masks, but can continue to do so if they choose.
In the past week, the city has seen almost 60 positive cases of COVID-19 in total. During the height of the Omicron surge, Hoboken reported as many as 150 positive cases each day.
The city’s most recent mask mandate, which required “all residents and visitors over the age of 2” to wear face coverings in indoor public settings, was introduced in December, amid uncertainty about the Omicron variant. Mayor Bhalla signed this executive order two days after he himself tested positive for COVID-19.
By ending mask requirements, Hoboken is joining a growing list of communities that are responding to rapidly dropping cases of the virus, including California and New York. Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey, said on Monday that he will lift a statewide mask requirement in schools in March because of the rapid easing of the Omicron surge, calling the move “a huge step back to normalcy for our kids.”
Although masks are no longer universally required in Hoboken, the city is still asking people to wear masks in city buildings.
“Although our mask requirement for indoor locations is currently coming to an end, it is still important to utilize the tools we have at our disposal to stay safe from COVID-19,” said Bhalla. “COVID-19 remains a significant health risk for those who are unvaccinated, and I ask anyone who has not yet done so, to get vaccinated or boosted, and get tested if you believe you’ve been exposed.”
Since the pandemic began, the city has reported 9,512 positive cases of COVID-19 as well as 61 fatalities linked to the virus. According to the city’s vaccination numbers released Sunday, 85% of people in the city have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 75% have received the second dose.
Although the city has lifted mask mandates, Stevens noted on February 8 in an email to students, faculty, and staff, that “Masks are required in all indoor, public spaces.”
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