Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, the Hoboken Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and the Hoboken Health Department today announced the repeal of OEM’s Executive Order requiring face masks in indoor locations of public accommodation. The end of the mask requirement will take effect Wednesday, Feb. 9. Hudson County’s positivity rate fell below 5% as of Monday, Feb. 7, which provided the basis for the order’s repeal.
“Since the very first days of the pandemic, Hoboken has used science and data to guide decisions on keeping the public safe,” said Mayor Bhalla. “In recent days, the numbers make it clear that cases are significantly falling in the region, which is welcome news. 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. I thank the many residents and businesses who adhered to this safety precaution as we navigated through the Omicron phase of the pandemic.”
Local Hoboken businesses will continue to have the option to require face masks for entry into their business.
“While Hoboken businesses no longer are required to ask patrons to wear face masks when entering their establishment, some may understandably continue to do so,” added Mayor Bhalla. “I ask residents to respect those businesses, who may choose to take an extra layer of precaution to protect their staff and customers.”
Any mask requirements for schools in Hoboken will continue to be subject to the authority of each individual school or district.
Visitors to municipal facilities will be required to wear facemasks, regardless of vaccination status, for the near future.
Mayor Bhalla encourages all residents to get vaccinated and boosted, if they have not already done so.
“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 Mayor 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.”
