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Technion & Rambam Scientists Present Novel Method for Testing More than 60 Patients for COVID-19 at the Same Time

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Researchers at Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and Rambam Health Care Campus have successfully tested a method that will dramatically increase the current COVID-19 testing capacity using existing available resources. This method, known as pooling, enables simultaneous testing of dozens of samples. Photo Credit: technion.ac.il

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Researchers at Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and Rambam Health Care Campus have successfully tested a method that will dramatically increase the current COVID-19 testing capacity using existing available resources. This method, known as pooling, enables simultaneous testing of dozens of samples.

Its implementation has the potential to greatly accelerate the rate of testing and detection of COVID-19 infected patients in the population. The trial was completed in a matter of days thanks to the support of the Ministry of Health and the close collaboration between Technion and Rambam. Testing for COVID-19 is currently being conducted in Israel with the focus on people with specific symptoms. The current rate of testing–about 1,200 a day – does not allow for monitoring of asymptomatic carriers in the population, which is vital to curb the epidemic. COVID-19 is diagnosed with PCR testing, which is common for virus monitoring.

This test examines the presence of a unique genetic sequence of viruses in a sample taken from the patient. The test takes several hours thus generating a bottleneck in identifying COVID-19 infected people in Israel and around the world. According to Dr. Yuval Gefen, director of the Rambam Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, “Today, we receive approximately 200 COVID-19 test samples a day, and each sample undergoes individual examination. According to the new pooling approach we have currently tested, molecular testing can be performed on a “combined sample,” taken from 32 or 64 patients. This way we can significantly accelerate the testing rate.

Only in those rare cases, where the joint sample is found to be positive, will we conduct an individual test for each of the specific samples.” According to Professor Roy Kishony, head of the research group in the Faculty of Biology at Technion, “This is not a scientific breakthrough, but a demonstration of the effectivity of using the existing method and even the existing equipment to significantly increase the volume of samples tested per day. This is done by pooling multiple samples in a single test tube. Even when we conducted a joint examination of 64 samples in which only one was a positive carrier, the system identified that there was a positive sample.

Although there are some logistical challenges in implementing the method, we expect that it will greatly increase the volume of samples tested per day so that we can identify the asymptomatic carriers. This approach should reduce the chance of infection and flatten the infection curve.” Director of the Rambam Virology Lab, Dr. Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen estimates that, “implementing pooling in the final stage of the PCR test will make it easier for us to shorten the entire process and significantly increase the test rate.”

President of the Technion Professor Uri Sivan said: “This experiment conducted by Technion and Rambam researchers is complex, and under normal circumstances would take months. This is a remarkable example of the mobilization of an outstanding team in a time of crisis. The initial experiment was completed in less than four days. This achievement emphasizes the importance of the close relationship between Technion and Rambam and between medicine and engineering. Technion researchers have been enlisted in the war against the Coronavirus and this is one of the many activities currently underway at Technion to combat the spread of the disease.” General Director of Rambam Health Care Campus Prof. Michael Halberthal said, “This collaboration between Technion and Rambam, for the benefit of all humanity, is just one example of many joint projects between the two institutions.

These collaborations are designed to harness the multidisciplinary capabilities of Technion researchers for the advancement of medicine.” The experiment was led jointly by Technion and Rambam researchers. At Technion by Dr. Idan Yelin together with Noga Aharony, Einat Tamar and Dina Berenbaum in Prof. Kishony’s laboratory and with Amir Argoetti from Prof. Yael Mandel-Gutfreund’s laboratory, both labs are in the Faculty of Biology. Prof. Roy Kishony holds the Marilyn and Henry Taub Chair in Life Sciences. Dr. Esti Messer, Head of the Technion Biological Safety Dept, set up the dedicated laboratory and accompanied the entire experiment. At Rambam Health Care Campus, the team was led by Dr. Yuval Gefen, Dr. Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen with support of Prof. Michael Halberthal, Rambam General Director and CEO.

For more than a century, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has pioneered in science and technology education and delivered world-changing impact. Proudly a global university, the Technion has long leveraged boundary-crossing collaborations to advance breakthrough research and technologies. Now with a presence in three countries, the Technion will prepare the next generation of global innovators. Technion people, ideas, and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, innovating in fields from cancer research and sustainable energy to quantum computing and computer science to do good around the world.

The American Technion Society supports visionary education and world-changing impact through the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Based in New York City, we represent thousands of US donors, alumni, and stakeholders who invest in the Technion’s growth and innovation to advance critical research and technologies that serve the State of Israel and the global good. Over more than 75 years, our nationwide supporter network has funded new Technion scholarships, research, labs, and facilities that have helped deliver world-changing contributions and extend Technion education to campuses in three countries.

Daily Coronavirus Global Update in the Secular and Jewish Communities March 24th

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 by Lieba Nesis
1.  The United States reported a one-day 22.09% increase- the third largest amount of cases at 53,794 with a 25% increase of deaths at 712.  New York State continues to spike as cases reached 25,665, almost half the total cases in the US, with New York City reporting more than 14,904 cases with 131 dead.   The breakdown by borough is Queens (4,364), Brooklyn (4237), Manhattan (2,887), Bronx (2,328) and Staten Island (935).  Governor Cuomo said the rate of infections is doubling every three days predicting more than 140,000 beds will be needed when only 53,000 are available.  The Kentucky governor warned against “coronavirus parties”; where a sick patient developed the disease from attending a party flouting the social distancing guidelines.  De Blasio announced New York City will open up specific streets for exercise in each of the 5 boroughs to be enforced by the NYPD.  De Blasio keeps repeating New York is “the epicenter of the crisis” as he released 300 inmates from Rikers Island.
2.  In a Fox News Town Hall President Trump said he would love the country to open by Easter-April 12th.  Trump believes the country has to get back to work and compared this to the seasonal flu which has a far higher death rate-according to Trump 50,000 this year (the CDC reports 23,000 deaths).  The White House advised traveling New Yorkers to self quarantine for 14 days upon arrival as New York is considered a hotspot.
3.  The Dow had its best day since 1933 as Congress neared a deal on a $2 trillion economic stimulus package.  The Dow index rose 11.3% to 20,704.91, the Nasdaq increased 8.12% to 7,417.86 and the S&P 500 hit 2,447.33 for a 9.38% increase.
4.  Italy continued the grim news with its death toll rising by 743 in one day to 6,820 with 69,176 cases-the second highest number of deaths by the country.  The number of new cases has gone up by 7%, the third day in a row that the rise has slowed-indicating Italy’s trend may be downward.  A doctor from Milan attributed its large number of cases to a heavy Asian population because of the industrial nature of the economy,  the high amount of pollution and its containing the 2nd oldest population in the world.  What’s becoming clearer each day is China’s claim of 81,171 cases with 3,277 deaths is a lie.  The probability that the place of origin, the Wuhan wet market, has less fatalities than Italy is nearly zero.  Moreover, the population of more than 1.4 billion in China makes it extremely vulnerable to medical disasters.  China’s lack of transparency since the start of the pandemic in mid-November, has been extremely dangerous for the entire globe.  It is time to demand China reveal the truth about the extent and nature of the illness, or face punishment.
5.  Information about the World Heath Organization (WHO) continues to show it was sleeping at the wheel.  Yesterday, Director-General Tedros Adhanom claimed “the pandemic is accelerating.”  The WHO wrongfully declared on January 15th “there is no clear evidence of sustained human-to-human transmissions and there are no infections reported among health care workers.”  Was it not their duty to investigate whether China’s claims of containment were true.  Moreover, the WHO criticized Trump for closing travel from China on January 31st.  Their naming of the virus “Covid-19” was deliberately done to downplay its fatality so as not to blame the Chinese-knowing that if they called it by its correct name SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) the public would become alarmed.  Finally, the WHO outrageously waited until Wednesday March 11th to call the disease a pandemic despite knowing there were hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of cases worldwide.  If they were not aware of the true numbers that reveals their delinquency.  It is time to get a new Director General, or have someone overseeing the WHO as it has proved itself to be both incompetent and partial to China.  On February 23,2020 Dr. Bruce Aylward came back from a WHO trip to China and gave reporters a rosy report saying the disease was contained there and, “you don’t have to lock down cities is the big message from China, in fact.”  At a news conference in Geneva in February WHO Director General Tedros said, “Does this virus have pandemic potential?  Absolutely it has.  Are we there Yet? From our assessment not yet.”  WHAT!!!!  The WHO was quick to name obesity, which is comparatively within our control, a pandemic but waited three months to name a globally fatal outbreak a pandemic.  The term pandemic-meaning simultaneous global transmission of a disease to a high proportion of the population- while not determinative, would have helped now decimated countries realize the challenges they would soon face.
6.  Israel has reported 1,930 cases with two more deaths (a total of 3), and 34 patients in serious condition.  Prime Minister Netanyahu held a seven-hour meeting on Monday where he said 1 million could be infected with a possibility of over 10,000 deaths.  Meanwhile, public transportation was completely suspended in Israel with medical care limited to that which was urgent, and exercise only allowed within 100 meters of homes.  The IDF has designated battalions to enforce this 7-day national lockdown.  On Tuesday morning, a large police force stormed Mea Shearim in Israel to ensure non-essential businesses were closed.
7.  The Brooklyn Jewish Community is praying for the speedy recovery of Jewish luminaries Stanley Chera and Harry Adjmi who are pillars of the community, along with Eli Beer and Rabbi Sholom Lipskar who are ailing in Florida.
8.  The number of Coronavirus NYPD members surged to more than 200-with 3,000 cops out sick.  On Monday detectives were told to prepare to be assigned to patrol.
9.  Japan and the International Olympic Committee have agreed to postpone the Olympics to no later than summer 2021-unlike Comic Con which plans to hold its convention at the Javits Center in October.  States under lockdown have increased to Louisiana, New Mexico, Washington and West Virginia-who have all issued stay-at-home orders.
10.  The second-state run coronavirus testing site in New Jersey opened Monday morning at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.  On Monday, it stopped letting cars into the line a half hour before it opened, after hitting capacity.   New York has run more than 80,000 tests  and is now testing more than 16,000 people per day.

Nobel Prize Winning Biophysicist on Coronavirus Pandemic: ” We are going to be Fine”

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image of the Corona Virus (Getty Images)

Michael Levitt, a Stanford biophysicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013, has made a bold statement that the end of COVID-Michael Levitt, a Stanford biophysicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013, has made a bold statement that the end of COVID-19 pandemic could be near and has cited China’s curve flattening to support his hypothesis, reported the Los Angeles Times.

“What we need is to control the panic,” he said. In the grand scheme, “we’re going to be fine. He firmly believes the social distancing measures are working.

Levitt accurately forecasted the deceleration in confirmed cases and deaths in early February in China. He said the initial infection rate in China’s Hubei province was 30% per day, but on February 7, something changed:

“The number of new infections started to drop linearly and did not stop,” Levitt said. “A week later, the same happened with the number of deaths. This dramatic change in the curve marked the median point and enabled better prediction of when the pandemic will end. Based on that, I concluded that the situation in all of China would improve within two weeks. And, indeed, now there are very few new infection cases.”

Levitt reviewed data from 78 countries that reported more than 50 new confirmed cases of the virus per day and said he notices deceleration in many of these countries. He said he’s not focused on overall cases or deaths but rather on growth rates

Levitt has gone on the record to say that the virus outbreak could disappear from China by the end of March.

He said most individuals are immune to COVID-19 and pointed out that only 20% of the passengers on the Diamond Princess contracted the infection.

He said in South Korea, confirmed cases are still being reported daily, though, in recent weeks, new cases per day have inched below 200, suggesting the outbreak is slowing.

Levitt said recent trends in confirmed cases in Iran point to a slowdown. He said it suggests the outbreak there “is past the halfway mark.”

 

NYC Druggists Miffed at Walgreens, CVS for Not Protecting Employees During Pandemic

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Finger-pointing continues, with some chain store pharmacists complaining that companies like Walgreens and CVS haven’t done as much as they might have to protect the health of their employees.

 

One New York City pharmacist said in an interview with the New York Post that his chain has failed to give enough instruction on how to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic.

 

Deep cleaning for stores and hand sanitizer for employees top the list of things this pharmacist says are insufficient safeguards.

 

“Thousands of people are coming into the store and touching the pin-pads and there is nothing to clean them with,” the pharmacist told the New York Post in an interview. “I don’t understand why doctors and nurses are having their temperatures taken before they go to a hospital, but there are no precautions for us who have to deal with sick people all day long.”

 

The individual also told the Post, “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, I can honestly say that we have received ZERO guidance from the higher-ups and NOTHING has been done to help protect employees or our patients.” Should an employee test positive for the Coronavirus, “they will have to quarantine all of us and there will be no one left to work.”

 

A spokesperson for Walgreens told the Post that “As the situation evolves, we are actively reviewing our policies, procedures and operations to promote the safety and well being of our team members and customers.”

 

At the same time, a spokesperson for CVS Health told The Post that the company is “prioritizing” masks “for store and pharmacy employees in markets that have the highest incidences of COVID-19 diagnoses and we continue to work with suppliers to source additional masks in the face of never-before-seen disruptions to the medical supply chain.”

 

Walgreens has been proactive in protecting its people. As it notes on its web site, “As this situation evolves, the company continues to take further steps to promote the safety and wellbeing of team members and customers.

 

Recent measures include:

 

–      Temporary reduction of store operating hours. By operating with reduced hours, Walgreens stores are spending the necessary time, while closed, cleaning, sanitizing and stocking shelves each day. We’re also adjusting our hours to help team members and customers feel comfortable and safe to shop our store during this time.

 

–      Implementing social distancing guidelines to ensure a safer store experience for team members, customers and patients. All stores now have a “Social Distancing Line,” which begins six feet away from all checkout counters. Lines are clearly marked where customers may wait until the team member instructs them to step to the counter. Six foot increments are also marked to indicate where customers should stand in line to ensure they are keeping appropriate distance from others.

 

–      Walgreens is also introducing Sanvello, a new, free mobile app for all team members to use during this time of increased stress. Sanvello provides peer support and clinically validated coping tools to reduce stress and anxiety.

 

Anti-Semitic Tirade at Upstate NY Toyota Dealership; Hasidic Man Told He Was “Spreading Virus”

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Once again, as has happened throughout our history when there have been pandemic’s, Jews have been blamed for it. We knew it would only be a matter of time, but it happened, and thanks to this brave man, it was captured on video.
A Hasidic man had an appointment on Monday morning to service his vehicle at Toyota in Goshen, New York, but instead of being serviced like the rest of the customers, he was told to leave because he was “spreading the virus”.
The man says that he called Johnston’s Toyota if he can bring his vehicle in for maintenance. He was told it was not a problem, as they are open. He was given an appointment for 9:30 am. The Hasidic man arrived and pulled into the garage. A minute later, he was told by an employee to leave as they are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The man was suspicious and pulled away and watched as one vehicle after the next was allowed into the business for service.
He began video-recording the vehicles going in after being told they had closed. He called the Toyota dealership again and said “I missed my appointment, is there any time slot still available for today? Toyota told him “sure, come at 10:15 this morning”.
He pulled in again, and a female employee told him to leave. He got out of his car and approached a male employee – possibly a manager – and questioned him why he was not being serviced. The manager simply responded “you are spreading the virus”…you gotta go buddy” The man then saw he was being filmed, refused to answer any questions, and quickly walked away.
Say hello to anti-Semitism 2020. (Yeshiva World News)

Coronavirus Pandemic Spurs Mental Health Crisis

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With the entire world reeling from the effects of the devastating coronavirus outbreak, a nationwide group of mental health professionals is launching an Amudim anonymous support hotline to help the general public weather this unprecedented crisis.

 

Spearheaded by Amudim, the hotline will address the many facets of the current situation, including general anxiety, abuse, addiction and domestic violence.  Volunteers from Amudim, Child & Adult Psychological Services, Empower Health Center, Madraigos Midwest, Naaleh Cleveland, Nesivos, Relief, Shalom Task Force, The Living Room and others will be joining forces with mental health practitioners in private practice to staff the hotline, which will be manned from 8 AM to 11 PM EST.

 

“The general effect on the population has been very dramatic, with the mental health crisis potentially creating even more fallout than the coronavirus,” observes Amudim CEO and director Zvi Gluck.  “This is an amazing opportunity for all of us to band together and help each other as we navigate our way through the weeks and months ahead.”

 

With people everywhere staying home and going out only when absolutely necessary, many are experiencing feelings of isolation whose effects can range from mildly upsetting to devastating, notes Dr. David Pelcovitz, chair of Amudim’s clinical advisory board.

 

“It is so important when people are feeling alone and like they’re twisting in the wind to know that the community is here for them,” Dr. Pelcovitz expresses.  “It is beautiful to see so many organizations coming together at a time like this when connection is literally a matter of life and death.”

 

The public can reach out to the hotline at 888-7-AMUDIM or 718-972-3000 and caller ID is disabled to ensure complete confidentiality.  A call center will be staffed 24/7 so that those who reach out after hours or at a time when all volunteers are busy will have their calls returned as soon as possible.  Those who prefer to communicate in writing will also be able to get help by emailing [email protected].  All calls and emails will be received by licensed mental health professionals under the joint direction of Amudim’s clinical director, Myriam Lankry, and Dr. Pelcovitz.

 

Dr. Shloimie Zimmerman, vice chair of Amudim’s advisory board, says that having a communal resource offering extremely high level professional guidance will help alleviate some of the confusion and address the upheaval that has left many struggling to cope as the coronavirus continues its destructive march across the globe.

 

“What truly unites us as a community is not being in the same room or even in the same shul,” he adds.  “We are all brothers and sisters with one Father in heaven and a shared mission to be a light unto the world. At this time, while we need to be physically apart, it is our job to band together, practically, emotionally, and spiritually, joining forces in every way imaginable to face this challenge together.”

 

Those thoughts were echoed by Rabbi Binyomin Babad, director of Relief who explains that those already under the care of a mental health professional might be unable to keep their regular appointments under current circumstances, while people who have never sought treatment may finding themselves floundering and in need of guidance.

 

“People are feeling anxious about so many things including their health, their finances and even Pesach,” elaborates Rabbi Babad. “Just speaking to someone who can calm them down and refocus their feelings can be a tremendous help at a time like this.”

 

Menachem Poznanski, clinical director of The Living Room, notes that for those struggling with addiction, the coronavirus outbreak presents numerous difficulties while also wreaking havoc on their normal supportive networks.  Establishing a professionally staffed hotline will create an access point to those systems, filling a vacuum created by the pandemic.

 

Also facing major challenges are those who face abuse in their own homes, says Dr. Shoshana Frydman, executive director of Shalom Task Force. “Our volunteers are trained for safety during this time of sheltering in place and to help those in the dynamic of domestic violence so that they don’t feel frightened or alone. We are keeping our lines open and sticking to our regular schedule so that they don’t feel isolated and know that we are there for them.”

 

With Amudim’s phones ringing off the hook in recent days, Lankry emphasizes that the need for professional mental health guidance has never been greater. She adds that it is important for people to know that the difficulties they are facing right now are normal reactions to abnormal events.

 

“We need to get the message out,” asserts Lankry.  “There are people here you can speak to who are here for you and ready to lend a listening ear.  People need to remember that needing help doesn’t make you weak and that reaching out for help makes you stronger.  Even in a time when we have to be physically distant, our hearts can be connected and our words can connect us.”

 

Cuomo: Coronavirus Hitting NY Like a “Bullet Train” – Death Toll in Triple Digits

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As of Monday night, New York City’s death toll for the notorious coronavirus jumped into the triple digits, killing 125 people, as per city officials said.  The figure includes 26 NYC fatalities just since Sunday night.  As reported by the NY Post, the count of people infected with the novel virus in NYC leaped from 12,339 to 13,119, as of Monday, City Hall reported. The New York City region is now considered an epicenter of the pandemic, due to the figures which show that approximately 5 percent of the world’s confirmed cases are now in the Big Apple.  As of Monday, globally there are a total of 392,331 cases, and tragically 17,156 deaths.

In NYC, as of Monday night, Queens was leading all the boroughs with the most coronavirus cases, numbered at 3,848.  Following closely with the next highest infections was Brooklyn, with 3,742 cases. Manhattan was next with 2,646 cases.  Bronx reported 1,999 confirmed cases and Staten Island had 877.

On Tuesday Morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the rate of the coronavirus’ spread through the state of New York is accelerating like a “bullet train”.  In NYS, the confirmed number of cases is 25,665, and there have been 210 casualties, as of Tuesday Morning.   Over half of those cases, or 14,904, are in the five boroughs.  “We’re not slowing it, and it is accelerating on its own,” said Cuomo in a press briefing.  “The [disease] forecaster said to me, ‘We were looking at a freight train coming across the country.’”  Speaking at Manhattan’s Javits Center, which is now being converted to a 2,000-bed hospital complex, Coumo added, “We’re now looking at a bullet train.”

As per the Post, in NYS the spread of the disease is now doubling every three days.  The state only has roughly 53,000 permanent hospital beds.  Experts are now projecting a demand of 140,000 hospital beds at the peak, up from the previous estimate of 110,000 by Cuomo.  The speedy rate of the spread has led Cuomo to project that this peak may actualize in as little as two to three weeks from now.

“It accelerates the apex, to a point where it could be as close as 14 to 21 days,” the governor said. “The apex is higher than we thought, and the apex is sooner than we thought.  The inescapable conclusion is the rate of infection is going up.”

Among the casualties, a Brooklyn principal has died due to complications from the coronavirus.  As reported by the NY Post, Dezann Romain, principal of the Brooklyn Democracy Academy in Brownsville, died on Monday.   This was the first known casualty of a city public school staffer due to the pandemic.  “Our prayers are with her family and school community as we mourn alongside them. Please keep Principal Romain in your thoughts and continue to do everything possible to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe during this health crisis,” the union said in a statement.

The 36-year-old was promoted up from assistant principal between 2016 and 2017 at the transfer high school, as per public records.  “This is painful for all of us, and I extend my deepest condolences to the Brooklyn Democracy Academy community, and the family of Principal Romain,” said Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, in a statement.

 

Trump: “We Have to Go Back to Work;” Cuomo: “Virus Spreading Like Bullet Train”

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No Access to Coronavirus tests, no access to face masks, number of COVID-19 cases in NY hits triple digits

With lives and the economy hanging in the balance, President Trump said Tuesday he is hoping the country will be reopened by the upcoming Easter holiday as he weighs how to refine nationwide social-distancing guidelines to put some workers back on the job amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Thus far, the COVID-19 infection has claimed the lives of over 600 Americans and the number keeps climbing.

As many public health officials call for stricter, not looser restrictions on public interactions, Trump said he was already looking toward easing the advisories that have sidelined workers, shuttered schools and led to a widespread economic slowdown.

“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” he said during a Fox News virtual town hall. Easter is just over two weeks away — Apr. 12.  “We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought,” he added.

Trump expressed eagerness to nudge many people back to work in coming weeks and held out a prospect, based more on hope than science, that the country could be returning to normal in less than a month. Medical professionals say social distancing needs to be stepped up, not relaxed, to slow the spread of infections.

Only days ago, Trump told reporters at a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing that the virus which emanated from Wuhan China would continue to dominate our lives until at least August if not beyond that. Now, it appears, the commander in chief has changed mind about the trajectory of the virus. He has placed more emphasis on strengthening the economy, which is the key element that he is running on in his November re-election bid.

Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction — staying home from work and isolating themselves — the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread.

The U.S. is now more than a week into an unprecedented 15-day effort to encourage all Americans to drastically scale back their public activities. The guidelines, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are voluntary, but many state and local leaders have issued mandatory restrictions in line with, or even tighter than, those issued by the CDC.

Americans, in general, have voiced their frustrations about the abysmal lack of access to Coronavirus testing as well as the inability to purchase protective face masks to help in deterring the contagion. Surgical masks are almost impossible to come by in both medical supply stores and online web sites.

According to unnamed sources who spoke to the Jewish Voice on the condition of anonymity and who are very familiar with the situation involving the significant lack of essential medical services and supplies in the New York City area said, “If a person wants a mask right now to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, then they have to visit certain physicians (who shall remain nameless) and just give them $150.00 and they will receive 15 masks. In terms of trying to find a doctor who will administer a Coronavirus test, you can located one but it will cost you any where between $300-$600 if not more (depending on the physician) to get tested and to get the results back in a timely manner.”

On Monday, the U.S. saw its biggest jump yet in the death toll from the virus, with 609 America deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the outbreak began. Trump’s comments come after dire warnings by officials in hard-hit areas, including New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Tuesday that his state’s hospital capacity will soon hit a breaking point, even with the restrictions already in place.

“I gave it two weeks,” Trump said during the virtual town hall from the Rose Garden. He argued that tens of thousands of Americans die from the seasonal flu or in automobile accidents and “we don’t turn the country off.”

“We’ll assess at that time and we’ll give it some more time if we need a little more time, but we need to open this country up,” he added. “We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought.”

Trump’s Easter target was not immediately embraced by Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for Trump’s task force, who indicated any move would have to be guided by data still being collected. She suggested that public health professionals could recommend a general easing, while pushing for local restrictions to remain in the hardest-hit areas.

Trump acknowledged that some want the guidance to continue, but claimed without providing evidence that it would lead to “deaths” from suicides and depression.

“I’m sure that we have doctors that would say ‘let’s keep it closed for two years,'” Trump said. “No, we got to get it open.”

He added: “This cure is worse than the problem.”

Trump also criticized Cuomo, who has grown critical of the slow pace of federal aid to his state, particularly to fill its urgent need for ventilators.

The reassessment comes as the White House is encouraging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass a roughly $2 trillion stimulus package to ease the financial pain for Americans and hard-hit industries.

Appearing before the president at the virtual town hall, Vice President Mike Pence said Trump has asked for recommendations from the White House coronavirus task force for how he can send people back to work while minimizing the public health risk. He said Trump wants to find a way “to open America back up.”

Trump’s enthusiasm for getting people back to work comes as he takes stock of the political toll the outbreak is taking. It sets up a potential conflict with medical professionals, including many within his government, who have called for more social restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, not fewer.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases and a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, did not appear at the virtual town hall, but Trump denied there were any tensions between the two men.

Lawmakers have suggested that they’ll look to Fauci for guidance on when the restrictions should be lifted.

“I’m going to take my lead from Anthony Fauci.” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., on CNN. “That’s the person I trust, that’s the person Americans trust.

Fauci told WMAL on Tuesday that Trump has always heeded his recommendations.

“The president has listened to what I have said and to what the other people on the task force have said, when I have made recommendations he has taken them. He’s never countered or overridden me, the idea of just pitting one against the other is just not helpful,” Fauci said.

Larry Kudlow, Trump’s top economic adviser, told reporters Tuesday that “public health includes economic health.”

“That’s the key point. And it’s not either-or. It’s not either-or, and that’s why we’re taking a fresh look at it,” he said.

During a private conference call with roughly 30 conservative leaders on Tuesday, Pence reinforced Trump’s eagerness to lift coronavirus-related work and travel restrictions “in a matter of weeks, not months.”

Pence said there would be no formal decisions made until the current 15-day period of social distancing was complete when pressed on a specific timeline for lifting restrictions, according to a conference call participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of the private discussion.

Pence told the group that accommodations would need to be made for the highest-risk populations if and when restrictions begin to be lifted.

Despite Trump’s rosy talk, other elements of the government were digging in for the long haul. Top defense and military leaders on Tuesday warned department personnel that the virus problems could extend for eight to ten weeks, or even into the summer.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Defense Department town hall meeting that it could go into late May or June, and possibly even July. He said there are a variety of models from other countries, so the exact length of the virus and its restrictions are not yet clear.

Congressional and White House officials said Tuesday a deal appears to be at hand to provide sweeping aid to businesses and workers facing ruin from the coronavirus pandemic.

Both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, said agreement appeared close on the nearly $2 trillion package. “I don’t see any issue that can’t be overcome within the next few hours,” Schumer said. “Last night I thought we were on the five-yard line. Now we’re on the two.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and congressional leaders engaged in final negotiations after a tumultuous but productive day on Monday. While the two sides have resolved many issues in the sweeping package, some sticking points remained. Also, the complex task of writing legislation can take time, aides warned. A Senate vote could come later in the day or on Wednesday.

“We’re trying to finalize all the documents, going through a lot of complicated issues, and we’re making a lot of progress,” Mnuchin said. “I hope it’s today, absolutely. Still think we can get there.”

Ravaged in recent days, stocks climbed as negotiators signaled a resolution was in sight.

At issue is an unprecedented economic rescue package that would give direct payments to most Americans, expanded unemployment benefits, and a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. A point of contention has been $500 billion for guaranteed loans to larger industries.

A one-time payment of $1,200 per person, or $3,000 for a family of four, would go directly to the public.

Hospitals could get up to $200 billion for the expected influx of sick patients, said Mnuchin.

Democrats said the package would help replace the salary of furloughed workers for four months, rather than the three months first proposed. Furloughed workers would get however much a state usually provides for unemployment, plus a one-time $600 add-on.

Opening the Senate on Tuesday, McConnell combined optimism about the chances for a deal with frustration at the delays — and a sober view of the crisis at hand.

“The urgency and the gravity of this moment cannot be lost on anyone,” he said. On the negotiations, he said: “It’s taken a lot of noise and a lot of rhetoric to get us here.” Still, “we are very close. We are close to a bill that takes our bold Republican framework, integrates further ideas from both parties, and delivers huge progress.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump urged swift action. “Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today,” he tweeted. “The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy.”

Democrats pointed to gains for hospitals, additional oversight of the huge industry stabilization fund, and money for cash-strapped states. A companion appropriations package ballooned as well, growing from a $46 billion White House proposal to an unprecedented $300 billion, including a late $25 billion White House request for a flexible disaster response fund.

To provide transparency, the package is expected to create a new inspector general and oversight board for the corporate dollars, much as was done during the TARP bank rescue, officials said.

The sense of optimism extended to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who told CNBC: “I think there is real optimism that we could get something done in the next few hours.” Only Monday, Pelosi introduced a massive Democratic measure with liberal priorities, drawing scorn from Republicans.

The long evening of shuttle negotiations came after a long day trying to close the deal. The package is a far-reaching effort to prop up the U.S. economy, help American households and bolster the health care system in the growing crisis. Senate passage would send the legislation to the House.

President Trump is pictured here on the Rose Garden of the White House as he participates in a town hall discussion with Fox News host, Bill Hemmer. Photo Credit: AP

Trump in recent days has sounded a note of frustration about the unprecedented modern-day effort to halt the virus’ march by essentially shutting down public activities in ways that now threaten the U.S. economy.

Even though Trump’s administration recommended Americans curtail activities for 15 days, starting just over a week ago, the president says he may soon allow parts of the economy, in regions so far less badly hit by the virus, to begin reopening.

He continued on that theme Tuesday as he weighed a relaxation of social distancing guidelines after the 15-day period is up. His suggestion that the pandemic could ease and allow a return to normalcy in a mere few weeks is not supported by public health officials or many others in government.

On Tuesday, top defense and military leaders warned department personnel that the virus problems could extend for eight to 10 weeks, or longer. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Defense Department town hall meeting that the crisis could even extend into July.

With a wary population watching and waiting, Washington labored under the size and scope of a rescue package — larger than the 2008 bank bailout and 2009 recovery act combined.

Trump has balked at using his authority under the recently invoked Defense Protection Act to compel the private sector to manufacture needed medical supplies like masks and ventilators, even as he encourages them to spur production. “We are a country not based on nationalizing our business,” said Trump, who has repeatedly railed against socialism overseas and among Democrats.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. (Associated Press)

(Jewish Voice feature writer, Fern Sidman contributed to this report)

India Goes Under Total Lock Down Over Coronavirus

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From all accounts India is on the verge of a major health crisis due to the dreaded coronavirus pandemic. Initially India looked like they had dodged a bullet with very low amounts of cases compared to the rest of the world.

Things have changed rapidly.  The Covid-19 tally has crossed the 500-mark with the first case coming to the fore from the North East on Tuesday, according to India today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a three-week lockdown for all of India. “To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes,” he said in a national address.

In his second national broadcast in a week on the pandemic raging across much of the world with the number of infections rising in India, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the ‘lakshman rekha’ of their homes in the next three weeks, Vox detailed.

India is a nation of 1.33 billion people, only second to china in population. America’s population is 325 million to put this humongous nation into perspective.  It is hard to fathom a nation that large under what is essentially martial law. Ctizens are not allowed even out of their homes, according to media accounts

The Centre and state governments have taken measures to ensure that the supply of all essential items continue smoothly, he said, seeking to allay apprehensions among people about availability of food and other essential provisions, India Today explained.

According to Health Ministry data on Tuesday, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India includes at least 41 foreign nationals. Thirty-six people have been cured/discharged/migrated, it added, Vox reported.

 

 

Homeland Security Memo: Terrorists May Exploit Pandemic

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THE DEPARTMENT OF Homeland Security has sent a letter to law enforcement officials warning that terrorists may try to seek advantage of the coronavirus pandemic by carrying out attacks on the U.S, according to US News and world report

“Violent extremists probably are seeking to exploit public fears associated with the spread of COVID-19 to incite violence, intimidate targets and promote their ideologies, and we assess these efforts will intensify in the coming months,” according to the intelligence bulletin, compiled by the agency’s Counterterrorism Mission Center and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.

ABC news uncovered this bulletin recently.

DHS said it has “no information indicating any active plotting is underway,” but that it has observed certain extremist groups, both foreign and domestic, looking to spread misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic

ABC reported: Among the activities by extremist organizations cited in the DHS bulletin is a clipping from a weekly ISIS newsletter, which called for supporters to carry out attacks against overburdened health care systems in various Western countries.

Another portion of the bulletin singles out activity by white supremacists online who the DHS says have “advocated for violence against a range of targets, including critical infrastructure and faith-based and minority communities — including Asian Americans in response to the COVID outbreak.”

On Monday The Jewish Voice reported:  Federal investigators were  said to have been monitoring communications among white supremacist organizations through Telegram, an encrypted messaging app that has become popular among underground extremist movements, according to dailymail.com. ‘Violent extremists continue to make bioterrorism a popular topic among themselves,’ according to an intelligence brief written by the Federal Protective Service.”

The FBI alert, which went out on Thursday, told local police agencies that extremists want their followers to try to use spray bottles to spread bodily fluids to cops on the street. The extremists are also directing followers to spread the disease to Jews by going “any place they may be congregated, to include markets, political offices, businesses and places of worship,” reported Yahoo News.

 

Virus Survived on Surface for 17 Days on Diamond Princess Ship

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Traces of new coronavirus were found on surfaces in cruise-ship cabins for as many as 17 days after passengers left, researchers  discovered  though it wasn’t possible to determine whether they caused any infections.aid, though it wasn’t possible to determine whether they caused any infections, Bloombeerg broke

The study examined the Japanese and U.S. government efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreaks on the Carnival-owned Diamond Princess ship in Japan and the Grand Princess ship in California. Passengers and crew on both ships were quarantined on board after previous guests, who didn’t  have any symptoms while aboard each of the ships, tested positive for COVID-19 after landing ashore, CNBC reported.

From the study: The RNA, the genetic material of the virus that causes COVID-19, “was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess but before disinfection procedures had been conducted,” 

NY Update: Cuomo Issues Grave Warnings “We’re Looking Now at a Bullet Train”, Most Alarming Press Conference to Date

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The tone of today’s New York update from Governor Cuomo was a completely different tone than yesterday.  You can watch today’s press conference below, The Jewish Voice highly recommends our readers to listen to today’s update here are some highlighted bulletpoints

Quote: “One of the forecasters said to me we were looking at a freight train coming across the country,” he said. “We’re now looking at a bullet train, because the numbers are going up that quickly.”

  • New York State has over 25,000 cases of the virus, nearly 7 percent of the global total.
  • Cuomo opened up the conference saying “the rate of anticipated increase” of the virus “has gone up. Cuomo added “The rate of infections is doubling about every three days”
  • “We haven’t flattened the curve and the curve is actually increasing.”
  • ” We are not slowing it and it’s accelerating on it’s own”
  •  That rate of increase, that apex, they anticipate could be approximately 14 to 21 days away,” Cuomo said. He went on to say “we’ve increased testing to the highest level in the country. We’re also trying all the new drug therapies.”
  • “The emergency hospitals that we are building at Westbury and Stony Brook will be helpful,” Cuomo said. “But they’re nowhere near the number of beds we’ll need”
  • The governor told   the federal government he needs desperate  help procuring desperately needed ventilators, as well as personal protective equipment and hospital beds. New York has procured about 7,000 ventilators, according to Cuomo, but needs an additional 30,000 ventilators, “at a minimum.”
  •  NY currently has  53K hospital beds and 3000 with ICU, ew projections show that NY needs 140K beds and 40K ICU beds- these numbers are higher than previously projected
  • Hydroxychloroquine and zithoromax treatments began today
  •  the FDA authorized experimental procedure of Plasma injection
  •  The apex for spread is higher and sooner than anticipated
  • “There is no other way for us to get these ventilators. We’ve tried everything else. The only way we can obtain these ventilators is from the federal government. Period.”
  • Cuomo repeatedly stressed that we need more hospital beds repeatedly thru-out his conference and called on the federal government for more ventilators repeatedly
  • Cuomo urgently called on the federal government to authorize the Federal protection act and claimed the federal government has a stockpile of 20,000 ventilators and called on them to be released to NY immediately

Has China Been Criminally Negligent?

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On December 31, the last day of 2019, China announced the outbreak of a mysterious pneumonia like illness. Reports now indicate the Chinese were lying, dangerously so, to the world. Photo Caption - XIAOLU CHU/GETTY IMAGES

OK, we’ll come right out and say it: “China has been criminally negligent in its initial silence in reporting to the rest of the world the outbreak of the COVID -19 virus that originated in its own city of Wuhan.” No, we’re not being xenophobic. But leave it to the likes of cnn.com to claim that bigotry against China is worse than the disease it permitted to spread world-wide. “What’s spreading faster than coronavirus in the US? Racist assaults and ignorant attacks against Asians,” it blared on its site. The media’s goal is to deflect blame away from the culprit and blame the victim, in this case those who may become afflicted with this disease and want an answer to how it originated and how it was permitted to spread for months before China spoke out.

On December 31, the last day of 2019, China announced the outbreak of a mysterious pneumonia like illness. Reports now indicate the Chinese were lying, dangerously so, to the world. The disease flared up weeks or months sooner than they claimed. The virus was already spreading among its own people, beyond the borders of Wuhan while they remained silent. They censored information and muffled and incriminated whistle-blowers who tried to sound the alarm. 

Dr. Daniel Lucey, a professor of infectious diseases at Georgetown University Medical Centers claims that the virus could have been moving through Wuhan as early as October. The deadly virus was given a 3 months head start by the criminal leaders of China. China is a signer-on to the International Health Regulations which obligates nations to report public health events such as disease outbreaks in order to prevent a pandemic such as the COVID-19 one emanating from….China. They failed to follow regulations and now can and should be held responsible for the tens of thousands of cases panicking the globe and the many innumerable  deaths to follow.

Throw into this gory tale, the fact that China’s one and only military biological warfare lab is located in Wuhan. Could there have been an “accident?” Add in that their leaders don’t give one damn about the lives of their citizens. The Washington Post reported on 11/30/2016 that between 30 and 60 million “missing girls” in China were apparently killed in the womb or just after birth thanks to a combination of preference for sons and the country’s decades old repressive one child policy. A nation with over 1.4 billion people, run by a dictatorship that seems to have very few human values will merely shrug their shoulders at a killer virus that may disable a world they hope to eventually dominate and rule even at the expense of its own people. And that’s not an xenophobic statement, that’s the truth, like it or not.

German Researcher Meets Resistance from Museum while Attempting to Return Nazi Looted to Jewish Heirs

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This painting by Matisse was looted by the Nazis and appears on the website www.errproject.org/jeudepaume, which documents the fate of over 20,000 art objects taken by the Nazis
Hitler and Nazi party members looking at confiscated art

By: Jared Evan 

In 1933 when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, he enforced his aesthetic ideal on the nation. The types of art that were favored amongst the Nazi party were classical portraits and landscapes by classical artists, particularly those of Germanic origin. Modern art that did not match this was dubbed degenerate art by the Third Reich and all that was found in Germany’s state museums was to be sold or destroyed, Paris Bonjour art blog recalled. 

From 1939 to 1945, Hitler and the Nazis collected hundreds of thousands of works of art and millions of books confiscated or forcibly purchased from museums, private collections and libraries in Occupied Europe. Many Nazi party members were intent on taking advantage of German military conquests to increase their private art collections. It would seem that the idea of ridding Germany of “degenerate art” was essentially an excuse to rob Jews and others of their art collections.

Art dealers Hildebrand Gurlitt, Karl Buchholz, Ferdinand Moeller and Bernhard Boehmer set up shop in just outside Berlin, to sell a cache of near-16,000 paintings and sculptures which Hitler and Göring removed from the walls of German museums in 1937–38. They were first put on display in the Haus der Kunst in Munich on 19 July 1937, with the Nazi leaders inviting public mockery by two million visitors who came to view the condemned modern art in the Degenerate Art Exhibition. Propagandist Joseph Goebbels in a radio broadcast called Germany’s degenerate artists “garbage”. Hitler opened the Haus der Kunst exhibition with a speech. In it he described German art as suffering “a great and fatal illness”, as researched by Paris Bonjour.

Fast forward to 2020.

The Leverkusen-based chemical company Bayer AG has returned on January 21 a painting by Oskar Moll to the Leipzig Museum der bildenden Künste (Museum of Fine Arts). Still Life with Poppies and Black Jug from 1916 had been in the possession of the company since 1951. A day later, the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Monika Grütters, is personally presenting three Nazi-looted artworks to the rightful heirs from France, DW reported.  

For those who do not know Bayer, the drug manufacturer was complicit to Nazi atrocities.  Bayer was part of the IG Farben conglomerate, which strongly supported the Third Reich, the Bayer company was complicit in the crimes of the Third Reich. In its most criminal activities, the company took advantage of the absence of legal and ethical constraints on medical experimentation to test its drugs on unwilling human subjects.

The process of recovering art that was confiscated from the Nazi party is very difficult, it is even harder to trace the rightful heirs.

The NY Times recently returned to this fascinating subject which pops up every once in a while, in the mass world of media.  Sibylle Ehringhaus’ efforts to return Nazi artwork to its heirs was reported on in detail recently. 

 For three years, Sibylle Ehringhaus, a veteran provenance researcher, worked with the Georg Schäfer Museum in northern Bavaria to examine the ownership history of its 1,000 oil paintings and several thousand drawings, prints and watercolors according to the NY Times. 

Ms. Ehringhaus’s job was, in part, to determine just how much of the collection was stolen during the rise of the 3rd Reich 

 The NY Times reported: after she had identified several plundered works, she said, no one seemed to have any plans to return them to the heirs of the original Jewish owners.

“I got the impression they didn’t want me there — they really made things difficult for me,” Ms. Ehringhaus, 60, said at a meeting in a Berlin cafe. “They needed me for appearances. I felt as though I was being used as a fig leaf”, she told the NY Times. 

The owner of the museum purchased many works from Adolf Hitler’s personal photographer. 

 It seems that the city of Schweinfurt hired her just to appear to actually take onus to this injustice & to create some kind of façade 

The NY Times reported: She was denied access to historical documents vital for her research, she said, and forbidden to contact colleagues at another museum with a research inquiry. So in December she rejected an offer to extend her contract for another year.

The Georg Schäfer Foundation says the art was bought legally and in good faith and that compensating victims of the Nazis is a state function, to be undertaken by the German government, the Times reported.

The museum itself is in a government building but the art itself is on loan from the private foundation set up by Mr. Schäfer.

The Times reported the following: The foundation said that returning art would also violate laws that ban foundations from divesting assets.

In a statement, the foundation said “the German federal government as the legal successor of the Third Reich is responsible for compensating for the crimes of the Third Reich.” The statement called for a German restitution law that would include government compensation for private entities that return Nazi-looted art.

“The historical and moral responsibility to redress Nazi art plunder does not lie solely with the state,” she said in a speech at a conference on the Washington Principles in 2018. “We can and should expect much more engagement by private art collectors and the art trade”, German culture minister, Monika Grütters told the Times. 

Essentially it would seem the The Georg Schäfer Foundation does not want to assist in returning the stolen and expensive art to its rightful owners, without proper compensation & the German government does not want to compensate either. The concept of rectitude is nowhere to be found on  this issue.

Joint Statement to the Orthodox Community Regarding Pesach

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Edited by: JV Staff

Rabbinic leaders and organizations across the Orthodox spectrum have, individually, declared the health threat presented by COVID-19 a mortal threat (sakanas nefashos). We, leaders of major American Orthodox Jewish organizations, join together again to further clarify our shared and firm guidance for our communities. We have heretofore urged not only full compliance with all health guidance issued by federal, state and local governments, but have gone beyond those pronouncements in urging our communities to remain at home and avoid, to the maximum extent feasible, any outside interactions. With regard to the upcoming Pesach holiday, we note specifically the following critical mandates, shared in consultation with leading Infectious Disease and Public Health experts:

1. We are accustomed to honoring Pesach to the fullest degree, including taking haircuts, purchasing new clothing and tableware, and preparing the fullest menus. This year’s public health crisis mandates us to significantly limit all of the above. Our responsibility is to refrain from any NON-ESSENTIAL outside interactions, including especially in-store shopping. If there is a need for truly ESSENTIAL purchases, send one family member only – who is neither ill, vulnerable, nor of known exposure to COVID-19 – as rarely and as briefly as possible. Stores serving the community should shift to home delivery or drive-by parking lot pick-up of pre-orders, and – to the extent this is not possible – must take substantive steps to minimize crowding, maintain hygiene, and maximize social distancing. We will truly honor Pesach by limiting our purchases to the truly ESSENTIAL, ensuring that all of us – especially the vulnerable – are able to celebrate Pesach in good health. We must STAY HOME; SAVE LIVES.

2. The Pesach plans of many have been completely upended. This creates severe difficulty for so many. We are deeply sympathetic to this enormous difficulty. Nevertheless, public health demands strict adherence to the current guidance. Travel to other cities must be cancelled, whether to vacation venues (Florida, etc.) or to family. Everyone must plan to celebrate Pesach where they are currently. Individuals living alone or those absolutely unable to prepare for Pesach may choose to self-quarantine for 14 days, and then – if asymptomatic – may join with a welcoming local family that is similarly asymptomatic and that has been disciplined in staying home and limiting their interactions outside the home to the absolute minimum as described above. These guests may join one family only for the duration, without additional company, and must carefully observe the mandated standards of scrupulous hygiene and social distancing. The elderly and high risk must seek medical advice before considering this. STAY HOME; SAVE LIVES

We urge one and all – while strictly maintaining the prescribed guidelines – to look out for each other by reaching out to and providing for each other, especially those living alone. We hope and pray that our sincere Tefillos (prayers) and Chassadim (acts of kindness) will move Hashem to swiftly remove this plague from the world and bless us all with health, peace and tranquility.

STAY HOME; SAVE LIVES

Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel, Executive Vice President, Agudath Israel of America

Rabbi Mendy Mirocznick, Executive Vice-President, Igud HaRabbanim – Rabbinical Alliance of America

Rabbi Shmuel Blech, Chairman, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Weisberg, Co-Chair, The Lakewood Vaad

Farley Weiss, President, National Council of Young Israel

Moishe Bane, President, Allen Fagin, Executive Vice President, the Orthodox Union

Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, President, Rabbi Mark Dratch, Executive Vice President, Rabbinical Council of America

NYC Bracing for Economic Hit; 500K Jobs Could be Lost to Pandemic

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New York City could be looking at shedding as many as 500,000 jobs due to the pandemic — and many in Gotham are bracing for the impact. Photo Credit: labor.ny.gov

By: Jerry Cashowitz

New York City could be looking at shedding as many as 500,000 jobs due to the pandemic — and many in Gotham are bracing for the impact.

The Big Apple has, of course, been hit harder than any other major metropolis in the United States. In fact, though numbers are growing quickly, it has been reported that New York City has 15,168 confirmed cases, up 4,812 since Saturday, and New Jersey has nearly 2,000 confirmed cases.

“With many more confirmed Covid-19 cases than anywhere else in the country, business activity all but grinding to a halt and all nonessential workers ordered to stay home, New York’s economy is bracing for a body blow of the magnitude no one has seen before,” reported Crain’s New York Business.

“In a normal downturn, economic activity contracts. But now economic activity is stopping,” Ronnie Lowenstein, director of the city’s Independent Budget Office, told Crain’s. “It’s a whole new world. A whole swath of people are being asked to sacrifice their jobs in the interest of public health.”

Current estimates indicated that up to a tenth of the city’s workforce, roughly half a million people, could soon find themselves without jobs.

Statistics put out by the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs show that 130,000 restaurant workers already find themselves without work.

Disappearing salaries among foodservice workers in New York City may well total $300 to $400 million in one month, Parrott said. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like that,” Parrott said. “The coronavirus crisis triggered the onset of a national recession whose trajectory is unknowable at this point.”

Restaurants across New York City “have already reported decreases in business so severe that they’ve had to let workers go, Patch.com said. “Emmanuel Kavalos, general manager of Kefi on the Upper West Side, has already been forced to lay off half of his staff. “That’s one of the more devastating things because they did nothing wrong.” Kavalos said. “It’s just the present situation.”

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo offered words of inspiration on Sunday, noting: “They talk about the greatest generation, the generation that survived World War II. Dealing with hardship actually makes you stronger. Life on the individual level, on the collective level, on the social level. Life is not about avoiding challenges. Challenges are going to come your way. Life is going to knock you on your rear end at one point. Something will happen. And then life becomes about overcoming those challenges. That’s what life is about. And that’s what this country is about.”

America is America, he continued, “because we overcome adversity and challenges. That’s how we were born. That’s what we’ve done all our life. We overcome challenges and this is a period of challenge for this generation. And that’s what has always made America great and that’s what going to make this generation great. I believe that to the bottom of my soul. We will overcome this and America will be the greater for it. And my hope is that New York is going to lead the way forward and together we will.”