Coronavirus triggers closures, mass quarantines for New York Jewish community

Three Jewish day schools have temporarily closed, while 600 congregants and two university students have been required to self-quarantine as a result of the coronavirus.
Here’s what we know as of Tuesday afternoon: There have been two reported cases of coronavirus in New York, and one is a 50-something Orthodox Jewish attorney from suburban Westchester County. One of his sons is an undergraduate student at Yeshiva University who has not been on campus since Feb. 27, the university told students and staff on Tuesday, and at least one of his children attends the Modern Orthodox day school SAR Academy in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.
SAR, Westchester Day School and Westchester Torah Academy have all closed temporarily due to possible coronavirus exposure, and Young Israel in New Rochelle, also in Westchester, is being required to halt its services immediately. The state is requiring self-quarantine for congregants and those who have attended recent events at the synagogue.
BREAKING – New Rochelle synagogue ordered to halt services and approx 600 people told ordered to quarantine due to potential #COVID19 #NovelCoronavirus exposure. pic.twitter.com/9PYvfmgpEt
— Tony Aiello (@AielloTV) March 3, 2020
In Manhattan, two Yeshiva University students are in self-quarantine as a precaution after potential exposure to coronavirus.
According to an all campus alert sent by the university on Tuesday, the second confirmed case of coronavirus in New York — a Westchester County attorney in his 50s — is the father of a male undergraduate student at Yeshiva. The student is currently in quarantine with his family, and the campus alert noted that “the student has not been on campus since Thursday, February 27th.”
A student at the university’s Cardozo Law School is “in self-quarantine as instructed by their doctor, as a precaution because of contact with the patient’s law firm.” The student is asymptomatic.
Yeshiva University said it was coordinating with relevant government agencies to “to take every necessary precaution to ensure the safety of our community,” including disinfecting all relevant common areas, but said all classes and university events will continue as usual.
comments