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Aid offered to Hoboken small businesses and essential personnel

As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hoboken rises to 116, the pandemic continues. The City Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, will be held via Zoom and a Facebook live stream. The links to either can be found in the mayor’s daily update.

Hoboken small businesses are invited to join two free online webinars hosted by the New Jersey Tech Council, which will cover new opportunities related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many small businesses are eligible for financial support from the federal and state government, and these webinars are meant to aid in understanding the potentially complicated relief bills. Registration information is included in Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s daily update on Tuesday, March 31.

To help ordinary Hoboken residents in self-quarantine, the city’s CERT team is available to help deliver food and groceries, and they can be reached by calling 201-420-5620. Individuals are encouraged to continue practicing social distancing. This service should be utilized to make the quarantine easier while keeping our community safe. Mayor Bhalla would also like to remind residents that gatherings of more than five people are prohibited. In order to protect public health, Hoboken residents should call the Hoboken Police Department if they become aware of parties or other potentially dangerous gatherings.

Multiple stores have adjusted their operating schedules so as to help elderly citizens get the nourishment they require without encountering too much risk. ShopRite is open from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. for Hoboken’s elderly, as is Trader Joe’s from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. During these designated hours, both stores are closed to the general public. Additionally, Mayor Bhalla would like to make citizens aware of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). These programs help lower-income families get proper nutrition with stipends at the beginning of each month. With schools closed, these families may struggle to make food last through the month. As a result, the mayor asks that, if possible, residents delay their shopping trips until after April 3, to allow these families the opportunity to shop safely. The mayor also asks that residents avoid buying items with the “WIC shelf tag,” as these are the only items the families may buy.

Finally, Hoboken is continuing to support its healthcare and public health professionals who are helping to flatten the curve and combat this pandemic. Ordinary citizens are also thanked for their aid to these workers. A Hoboken hardware store donated 400 N95 masks to the Hoboken University Medical Center, a generous donation as there has been a shortage of these protective devices across the nation. Daycare facilities, which had previously been closed in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, are now open only for essential personnel. This is a result of an executive order from Governor Murphy, and the details of specific daycare facilities can be found in the mayor’s daily update from Tuesday, March 31.

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