Comprehensive Global Coronavirus Daily Update Covering the Jewish and Secular Communities

By Lieba Nesis

Andrew Cuomo released figures showing 2,382 people in New York State tested positive for coronavirus,-1,871 in New York City, with 11 deaths, compared to 814 cases on Tuesday.  Much of the increase was attributed to testing as 5,000 of the total 14,597 tested were tested on Tuesday.

• -De Blasio continues to show his incompetency by waiting to cancel public schools until this Monday but reversing his lax stance on the disease by declaring he was likely considering a “shelter-in-place” order for New York City-a near complete quarantine- which would be nearly impossible to enforce.  Cuomo thankfully declared this would not happen under his leadership.  In order for a city or county to take emergency action the state has to approve it-so this is a no-go.  Shame on De Blasio for using this crisis as a power move while astoundingly taking a trip to a public Brooklyn gym on Monday evening.  If he really believed this was such an exigent situation that would have been an extremely dangerous move.
•  -The Dow closed with a loss of 1,300 points-nearly 5%-as the market sell-off continues; despite Donald Trump pledging a $1 Trillion Response Package.
• -New Jersey reported 427 cases-an additional 162 cases from the prior day.
• -Italy announced deaths have risen a record 475-a-day with cases confirmed at 31,500. However, they also released data that 99% of fatalities were of those who suffered previous medical conditions.  More than 75% had high blood pressure, 35% had diabetes and a third suffered from heart disease.
• -A state order was put into effect that all businesses must have at least half of their employees at home.
• -President Trump has agreed to send a 1,000-bed hospital ship to New York Harbor that will arrive in April.
• -Lawrence Garbuz, the 50-year old lawyer who remains Patient Zero from New Rochelle, has awoken from a two-week medically induced coma telling his wife over Face Time he loves her.  The discovery that he had the virus on March 2nd and had attended the New Rochelle Synagogue numerous times produced pandemonium within his community.  There are currently 380 cases in Westchester County and the New Rochelle synagogue has been cordoned off as a one-mile containment zone.
• -Crown Height’s Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway has closed for the first time in history as more than 100 people have been diagnosed in Borough Park and Willamsburg.  In Williamsburg more than 200 people gathered for a wedding Tuesday. While they continued dancing in the streets the Fire Department broke up the festivities since gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned in New York since Monday.  The Five Towns has 100 confirmed cases.  In Lakewood hundreds of guests were attending weddings on Monday March 16th.  The Jewish community better heed warnings to isolate and social distance before this disease becomes named after them
• -Eli Beer, President of Hatzalah, has been hospitalized in Miami’s ICU with the coronavirus.  We pray for him and wish him a speedy recovery.
• -About 100,000 Israelis are stranded around the world in India and Africa as borders have closed.  The Foreign Ministry is doing all it can to bring them home before flights are canceled altogether.
• -Rabbi Moshe Gruenstein and Rabbi Sholom Lipskar of Bal Harbour have both tested presumptive positive for coronavirus.  As of now their cases are mild but we should keep them in our prayers!