Paterson, Hoboken require masks indoors

Gabrielle Saulsbery//December 28, 2021//

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Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh takes part in an event as Gov. Phil Murphy signs the "Fair Chance in Housing Act" during New Jersey's first commemoration of Juneteenth at Calvary Baptist Church in Paterson on June 18, 2021. — Sayegh

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh will issue an executive order reinstating an indoor mask mandate for city owned and operated buildings on Dec. 28. His communication is set for 11 a.m., according to a city announcement.

The order “aims to ensure the safety of individuals at all city buildings,” the city said.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla also announced Dec. 27 that an indoor mask mandate will take effect 6 a.m. on Dec. 29 at all public establishments, citing rising cases of COVID-19.

These follow similar new orders in other municipalities including Newark, South Orange and Montclair.

In the nearly two years since the pandemic began, New Jersey has had nearly 1.5 million cases of COVID-19, almost 29,000 of them fatal. Cases of the virus have been on the rise in recent weeks with the new omicron variant.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]