Hoboken will be the first municipality in New Jersey to require all city employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Any city employee who can’t get or doesn’t want to get the vaccine will have to get tested for the virus on a weekly basis. The unvaccinated must also wear masks indoors and while interacting with the public.
The city will provide that testing free of charge and employees can have it done on or off work hours.
Mayor Ravi Bhalla signed an executive order on Friday, and says that the city’s priority is the health and safety of the public.
“We are doing it to protect the public, to protect our residents, our employees who interact with the public on a regular basis,” Bhalla says. “We also encourage all businesses in Hoboken to strongly consider similar measures.”
As an incentive to small businesses, the city is offering more relief grant funding to those who have at least 75% of their employees vaccinated.
The new mandate goes into effect on Aug. 9.