HOBOKEN — Residents at the Hoboken Community Center are being encouraged to relocate after a COVID-19 outbreak at the center caused at least one death and 20 positive cases, HCC Board Member Juan Melli said.
Out of 44 HCC residents and staff, 20 tested positive for COVID-19, Melli said in a statement. There were two additional deaths last week, but Melli said they have not been confirmed as COVID-related.
“We remain in close contact with the City of Hoboken and Hudson County to identify options for any of its residents — whether they have tested positive or not — to voluntarily temporarily relocate if they choose to,” Melli added. “HCC will continue to take all possible measures to protect our residents and staff.”
The community center was informed late last week, by residents and family members, that there were “several” positive COVID-19 cases in the building, including the death of one resident.
Melli said on Feb. 19, HCC and the City of Hoboken Health Department encouraged COVID-positive residents to relocate to the county’s facility, which temporarily relocates and isolates COVID-positive people who are unable to isolate on their own.
The city brought in Medicine Man pharmacy to test any staff and resident that wanted to be tested. They tested a total of 44 people. Of those, 20 came back positive, Melli said.
Then, the county visited the rooms of all 20 who tested positive to offer them the chance to relocate. Only 12 of those answered their door, while eight did not.
HCC requested wellness checks on the eight units “out of concern.” The fire department assisted the building management to knock on the rooms of those residents and ask if anything was needed. All residents said they were fine and did not have any needs at the time, according to the community center board member.
The following day, Feb.23, HCC was notified that a “significant” number of residents tested positive for the virus. Those residents were informed by the city’s health department of their test results, Melli said.
“Since that time, HCC, Hudson County, Hoboken OEM and Health Department have worked to encourage all positive residents to relocate to the County’s facility including providing transportation,” he added.
But Hoboken Ward 2 Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher told The Jersey Journal on Sunday that she feels there’s still more than needs to be done.
“These men are my neighbors and are some of Hoboken’s poorest and most at-risk, living with the challenge of shared bathrooms,” Fisher said in a statement. “I’ve been heartbroken all week by what has happened and have asked Mayor Bhalla for more help as I don’t believe his administration is doing enough.”
The Hoboken Community Center, formerly the North Hudson YMCA, has offered low-income affordable housing units for single men since 1927. It was refurbished in 2013 with 96 furnished single occupancy units. The center currently has 85 residents, Melli said.
“These men deserve all lifesaving resources in NJ to help reduce further spread and to save lives within this vulnerable community,” Fisher said.
As of Thursday, there were 3,369 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic along with 43 confirmed COVID-19 related fatalities, said Hoboken spokesman Vijay Chaudhuri.
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March 01, 2021 at 04:27AM
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Hoboken Community Center residents encouraged to relocate after one death, 20 positive COVID-19 cases - nj.com
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