As threat of lockdowns hang over Orthodox Jews, community leaders scramble to contain the growing rate of infections & artificially downplay the severity of transmission.
Boro Park & Williamsburg residents receive anonymous robocalls urging against getting tested, "it drives up the numbers," according to a Yiddish recording shared with Gothamist. The Bobov Hasidic dynasty asks congregants who previously had the virus (less likely to be currently infected), to get swabbed at a clinic immediately.
Most alarmingly, Orthodox medical sources say Boro Park healthcare providers withhold test results from authorities, despite State-City advisories that reporting is legally required.
City Hall acknowledges underreported rapid tests not sent to labs is an ongoing problem. State Health Dept spokesman Jonah Bruno, said he's “looking into the matter.”
"It’s the rise of rapid tests all over care facilities, where there’s no reporting," said Mark Levine, City Council Health Committee Chair. "It could be willful."
A review of the state COVID report, which tracks cases by school name/district, found many yeshivas in Boro Park not reporting results at all. Some yeshiva teachers are told to avoid getting tested, even if sick, the Forward reported last week.
The effort to suppress true infection rates comes as the uptick in cases spread to 14+ neighborhoods in NYC, according to the State. Boro Park & Bensonhurst lead all city zip codes with 6+% rate. Last week they were also in the 5 least tested neighborhoods per resident of 146 NYC zip codes.
A source in Boro Park's Orthodox community said it's common knowledge local leaders — and healthcare providers — advise residents with symptoms against getting tested in order to drive down the positivity rate.
"No question they're gaming the system. It's hospitalizations they won't be able to hide."
A NYC spokesperson said there's a slight increase in citywide visits to emergency depts for COVID-like illness.
Orthodox communities were among the hardest hit during the initial months of the pandemic, Boro Park-Midwood leading infections.
Amid fears of a 2nd wave, Mayor de Blasio scaled up tests & inspections in neighborhoods. The predominantly Orthodox areas, could see shutdowns of businesses & private schools if rates don't improve.
“We need a lockdown as in Israel because they didn't control the virus,” Dr. Mitchell Katz, NYC Health & Hospitals CEO, who manages contact tracing, said.
To an extent, efforts seem to work. In Boro Park on Wed, the majority were seen wearing masks, a striking departure from widespread complacency last week. Residents attribute the shift to recent guidance from religious leaders.
"Rabbis in the community said: 'Let’s follow the rules & not get in trouble,'" a barista at Milk Crate kosher cafe, told Gothamist.
But while most on the street wore masks, the majority inside Boro Park's best known synagogue, Shomrei Shabbos, were not. Some put masks on as they walked out to the street.
A person attending shul in the neighborhood confides that religious leaders "aren't enforcing masks once the doors are closed. It's all for show."
Residents also take exception to the threat of police issuing $50 fines to those who refuse masks.
“I pass the 66th precinct every day, can’t say I see a cop wearing a mask once,” said an Orthodox man in his 20s. “If they enforce rules, they should follow the rules.”
There was no NYPD presence on Boro Park’s 13th Ave. Instead, NYC dispatched the Test & Trace Corps to pass out masks & sanitizer.
Darwin Adeniye, a Test & Trace employee, conducts outreach in Boro Park.
“We were here 2 weeks ago & had difficulty giving out masks,” said Adeniye. He noticed people discussing the return of the virus. “We gave masks on Wed & acceptance was high.”
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https://gothamist.com/news/orthodox-neighborhooods-seek-downplay-coronavirus-rates-covid
As threat of lockdowns hang over Orthodox Jews, community leaders scramble to contain the growing rate of infections & artificially downplay the severity of transmission.
Boro Park & Williamsburg residents receive anonymous robocalls urging against getting tested, "it drives up the numbers," according to a Yiddish recording shared with Gothamist. The Bobov Hasidic dynasty asks congregants who previously had the virus (less likely to be currently infected), to get swabbed at a clinic immediately.
Most alarmingly, Orthodox medical sources say Boro Park healthcare providers withhold test results from authorities, despite State-City advisories that reporting is legally required.
City Hall acknowledges underreported rapid tests not sent to labs is an ongoing problem. State Health Dept spokesman Jonah Bruno, said he's “looking into the matter.”
"It’s the rise of rapid tests all over care facilities, where there’s no reporting," said Mark Levine, City Council Health Committee Chair. "It could be willful."
A review of the state COVID report, which tracks cases by school name/district, found many yeshivas in Boro Park not reporting results at all. Some yeshiva teachers are told to avoid getting tested, even if sick, the Forward reported last week.
The effort to suppress true infection rates comes as the uptick in cases spread to 14+ neighborhoods in NYC, according to the State. Boro Park & Bensonhurst lead all city zip codes with 6+% rate. Last week they were also in the 5 least tested neighborhoods per resident of 146 NYC zip codes.
A source in Boro Park's Orthodox community said it's common knowledge local leaders — and healthcare providers — advise residents with symptoms against getting tested in order to drive down the positivity rate.
"No question they're gaming the system. It's hospitalizations they won't be able to hide."
A NYC spokesperson said there's a slight increase in citywide visits to emergency depts for COVID-like illness.
Orthodox communities were among the hardest hit during the initial months of the pandemic, Boro Park-Midwood leading infections.
Amid fears of a 2nd wave, Mayor de Blasio scaled up tests & inspections in neighborhoods. The predominantly Orthodox areas, could see shutdowns of businesses & private schools if rates don't improve.
“We need a lockdown as in Israel because they didn't control the virus,” Dr. Mitchell Katz, NYC Health & Hospitals CEO, who manages contact tracing, said.
To an extent, efforts seem to work. In Boro Park on Wed, the majority were seen wearing masks, a striking departure from widespread complacency last week. Residents attribute the shift to recent guidance from religious leaders.
"Rabbis in the community said: 'Let’s follow the rules & not get in trouble,'" a barista at Milk Crate kosher cafe, told Gothamist.
But while most on the street wore masks, the majority inside Boro Park's best known synagogue, Shomrei Shabbos, were not. Some put masks on as they walked out to the street.
A person attending shul in the neighborhood confides that religious leaders "aren't enforcing masks once the doors are closed. It's all for show."
Residents also take exception to the threat of police issuing $50 fines to those who refuse masks.
“I pass the 66th precinct every day, can’t say I see a cop wearing a mask once,” said an Orthodox man in his 20s. “If they enforce rules, they should follow the rules.”
There was no NYPD presence on Boro Park’s 13th Ave. Instead, NYC dispatched the Test & Trace Corps to pass out masks & sanitizer.
Darwin Adeniye, a Test & Trace employee, conducts outreach in Boro Park.
“We were here 2 weeks ago & had difficulty giving out masks,” said Adeniye. He noticed people discussing the return of the virus. “We gave masks on Wed & acceptance was high.”
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