Jews in New York are wearing masks to protest new quarantine rules

New restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak in New York have sparked protests among ultra-Orthodox Jews. More than a hundred people came out to protest, some were wounded. The edition writes about it NBC.

On October 6, members of New York's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community protested - they disagree with the new restrictions imposed in areas with a significant increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19.

Some protesters tried to interfere with the filming of the NBC New York report. However, the recording still shows that more than a hundred people took part in the demonstration. They are opposed to the latest rules announced by State Governor Andrew Cuomo. The new directives limit the capacity of meetinghouses to 10 people or 25%.

The rally took place at the intersection of 13th Avenue and 50th Street in Borough Park, Brooklyn. The rally continued until early Wednesday morning, October 7. One person was injured "as a result of physical confrontation with other parishioners," but it is unclear what led to this, according to NYPD. In addition, a fire was made at the crosswalk; protesters were seen throwing cardboard boxes and even masks into the fire.

At some point, the protests intensified, and its participants chased two policemen. However, none of the protesters were arrested, police said.

“Mr. Cuomo, Mr. de Blasio think we are nobody. Are we nobody? " - public figure Heshy Tischler addressed the crowd, and received a loud "No" in response.

Borough Park is among the nine red zone neighborhoods in New York City where the coronavirus test positive rate exceeds 3% for seven consecutive days. Many of the hot spots are home to Orthodox Jewish communities. Their representatives say they feel like scapegoats due to the rise in new cases of COVID-19.

One of the Jewish organizations called these restrictions "appalling for all people of religion and good intentions" and threatened to explore all options for lifting them.

On the subject: New York police dispersed the rabbi’s funeral: what does the mayor have to do with it and why is the public angry

The American Orthodox Jewish organization Agudath Israel of America has criticized what it says is an "unexpected" measure, claiming that religious practice is becoming a target of persecution.

In response to what Cuomo previously said about productive conversations with community leaders, the organization's executive vice president David Zwiebel noted that “it was pretty much a one-sided monologue, and there was no mention of this new plan. ".

According to Bill Neidhardt, Mayor Bill de Blasio's spokesman, the plan is likely to begin in New York on October 8th. His announcement came a day after Cuomo ordered the closing of schools in Brooklyn and Queens with zip codes, which accounted for more than 25% of all new infections in the city in the past two weeks. “This is a defining moment in our fight against the coronavirus,” the mayor said on Tuesday. “We must do everything in our power. We have to be tough. "

Daily Percentage of Positive Tests by New York Region

With the entire state of New York in some form of reopening, a particular focus has been placed on daily monitoring of test results in each region. This will allow potential hotspots to be identified before they appear. For the latest countrywide results, click here.

Recall that New York divided into zones and tightened quarantine... Now in the metropolis there are "yellow", "orange" and "red" zones of distribution of COVID-19. Depending on the zone in which a particular area fell, its inhabitants must adhere to certain directives. Such measures were taken by the authorities in order to contain the spread of the virus.

Queens and Brooklyn are in the “red”, “orange” and “yellow” zones.

The new restrictions also apply to the Orange and Rockland Counties in the Hudson Valley, as well as the Binghamton area in the Southern Tier, as they have reported many new cases of COVID-19.

Residents of these areas need to adhere to a number of directives and guidelines when visiting offices, schools, churches, cafes and restaurants, as well as mass gatherings.

So, during worship services in the "red" zone, the occupancy rate of premises is not exceeding 25%, or up to 10 people; in the "orange" zone, the maximum allowable occupancy is 33%, or up to 25 people (both inside and outside); in the "yellow" zone - 50%.

Concerning mass gatherings, then in the "red zone" they are prohibited; in "orange" - allowed, provided that the number of participants both inside and outside the premises does not exceed 10 people; up to 25 people can gather in the "yellow" zone at a time.

Work Business also restricted in some areas of the city. Only the main enterprises important for the city's life support can operate in the "red" zone; in "orange" - all enterprises that are not important for the life support of the city (gyms, beauty salons and others) are closed; in the “yellow” zone, the business continues to operate unchanged.

Cafes and restaurants in the "red" zone they can only prepare food to go; in the "orange" one - lunches are allowed only outdoors (up to four people can sit at one table at a time); in "yellow" - accommodation is allowed both inside the halls and on the terraces (up to four people can sit at one table at a time).

Schools in the "red" and "orange" zones are closed, training takes place exclusively online; in the "yellow" zone, educational institutions continue to work, weekly students and staff must take a COVID-19 test.