Hoboken could be first NJ city to require vax to enter a bar

Following the lead of New York City, Hoboken could become the first city in New Jersey to deny the unvaccinated entry to a bar.

Hoboken Councilman Michael DeFusco is proposing a financial incentive to bars that verify COVID vaccination status as a condition of entry. He is asking Mayor Ravi Bhalla to fast track the idea, and enact it through executive order.

Bhalla has said all options are on the table when it comes to boosting his city's vaccination rate, but has not directly commented on Fusco's proposal.

Bhalla did support a plan to offer businesses a financial incentive if at least 75% of their employees were vaccinated.

"Incentivizing businesses that are willing to take additional measures to prevent the spread of this virus, specifically tightly packed bars, is a win for both public health and safety in our city and provides additional relief for small businesses who have struggled to make ends meet over the past year and a half.” - Hoboken First Ward Councilman
Michael DeFusco/Press Release

Some restaurant and bar owners already don't like it, and think it would be too burdensome to enforce.

Jim McCue, who owns two bars in the city, told NJ.com he has a tough enough time sorting out fake ID's to prove someone is 21, and noted those CDC vaccination cards are even easier to fake.

Bogus vax cards are already a growing problem. Some college kids have been paying $200 or more to get one to prove vaccination status to attend classes. The FBI has identified a fake card business in Chicago. There have been local reports in other states of students using fake cards to stay in school.

There has been no direct evidence it's happening in New Jersey, but do a quick Google search, and you can find plenty of offers. At least eight New Jersey colleges and universities require proof of vaccination to attend Fall classes. Kean University was the first to announce they would deregister students who did not provide proof of vaccination status by last week.

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NJ teachers and educators caught in sex crime busts

Over the past few years, state lawmakers have taken on the challenge of dealing with accused child predators among the ranks of teachers and educators.

In 2018, the so-called “pass the trash” law went into effect, requiring stricter New Jersey school background checks related to child abuse and sexual misconduct.

The follow individuals were arrested over the past several years. Some have been convicted and sentenced to prison, while others have accepted plea deals for probation.

Others cases are still pending, including some court delays amid the COVID-19 pandemic.