On April 15, 2020, the City Council of Hoboken held a bi-weekly meeting to address a variety of issues, many of which were centered around the current global Coronavirus pandemic. The meeting was held over Zoom to respect the current social-distancing laws in place.
The council members were joined by Chief of Police Kenneth Ferrante who was invited to speak about updates from the Hoboken Police Department and measures being taken by officers to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 on the city. Ferrante spoke of the new initiatives that both the police force and the civilian force have been taking amid the outbreak. Additionally, the chief expressed concerns about crime rates in Hoboken, which have reportedly gone up 12%, primarily in the past five weeks. Auto theft and burglaries have been on the rise since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Hoboken.
Following Chief Ferrante’s statement, the council moved to a presentation by the Director of Health and Human Services, Leo Pellegrini. The presentation glossed over COVID-19 related statistics in Hoboken. The most notable points of the presentation included Hoboken’s total number of confirmed cases rising to 346 since March 13, 2020. Thus far, 18 Hobokenites have died and 106 are fully recovered. The peak age group of these cases reside around those from 31-40 years of age, who make up 108 of the reported cases. Pellegrini also mentioned that Riverside Medical Group is in talks to loosen restrictions on how many people are tested and reasons for testing. This will allow for more tests to be administered, giving a more accurate count of Hoboken’s actual total number of COVID-19 cases.
Shortly after, Lynette Medeiros, an environmental health specialist, addressed some common questions raised by Hoboken residents. While acknowledging many important questions, Medeiros also notably pointed out that the reported number of cases reported in Hoboken was not completely accurate. Since the COVID-19 tests can take anywhere from a few days to a week to show results, the number of cases in Hoboken is about a week-old estimate.
During the public portion of the meeting, residents expressed many concerns about the city’s approach to social-distancing and sanitary measures. One resident was concerned about why Hoboken had yet to implement measures to sanitize the streets with cleaning supplies and hoses like other major cities. The Council President, Jennifer Giattino ensured that the city was looking into this measure. Another concern that was mentioned was the lack of social-distancing near the Hoboken Homeless Shelter, where the homeless of Hoboken have reportedly been seen standing very close to one another. Additionally, a senior in Hoboken expressed her concerns about the lack of information being conveyed to Hoboken’s senior community. The council acknowledged these concerns and thanked the public for their inputs.
Like many cities, Hoboken is doing its best to keep its residents safe amid this public health crisis. The police department and other safety officials have been tirelessly working to protect Hoboken and its people. However, the public believes that more can be done to address their concerns. Ultimately, it is up to the council to take these concerns into consideration and act upon them.
Be First to Comment