HOBOKEN, N.J. (1010 WINS) — All city employees for Hoboken are now required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Aug. 9 or face weekly testing as part of an executive order signed by Mayor Ravinder S. Bhalla on Friday.
"Given the recent increase of cases and the Delta variant in our region, the requirement we're adopting today has become necessary to help keep our community safe," Bhalla said. "I ask all Hoboken businesses and companies to consider implementing similar measures, to protect their own employees and members of the public. The vaccines are highly effective and I strongly encourage every person who has not yet done so, to get vaccinated as soon as possible."
The city will offer free vaccinations to all municipal employees on Tuesday, Aug. 4, through Medicine Man Pharmacy at 605 Jackson St. from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The order comes as cases in the state continue to slowly rise and after the Department of Justice announced federal law did not prohibit private businesses or public agencies from enforcing vaccine employment restrictions.
Hoboken will also continue to offer weekly testing and vaccine clinics and will permit local businesses to enforce their own vaccine mandates.
Bhalla's order follows New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio who implemented a similar mandate for its municipal workers on Monday amid the rise of the delta variant.
Vaccine data shows 62% of people in Hoboken have been fully immunized as of Friday.
