The Kiryat Sanz community in Netanya was extremely cautious from the very beginning of the outbreak of the coronavirus in Israel, strictly adhering to all health ministry regulations without exception.
Even when the Sanzer Rebbe‘s mother passed away, the levaya was attended by family only. The community’s caution paid off and not one member of the community was diagnosed with the virus – until now.
Last week, an avreich in the community, which numbers about 750 families, tested positive for the virus, sending dozens of avreichim from his kollel into quarantine, and since then more and more cases have been diagnosed.
After the number of coronavirus cases in the community rose to almost 20, it was decided on Motzei Shabbos to close all schools in the community, both for boys and girls, as a precautionary measure, despite there being only one student in the girls’ school who was diagnosed with the virus.
STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group.
The reason for the outbreak is not entirely clear but according to a B’Chadrei Chareidim report, residents believe it is due to the reopening of shuls, specifically the main Beis Medrash in the Kiryah, which serves as a sheteiblach “factory” for hundreds of residents of Netanya who come to the Kirya to daven.
“The fact that until today there was not even one coronavirus patient in the Kiryah leads us to the conclusion that the opening of the shuls – despite all the warnings and arguments of the gabbai with people who aren’t residents of the Kirya and came to daven without masks – is the source of the outbreak,” one resident told B’Chadrei.
Currently, everyone in the community who was in contact with a confirmed patient is being tested and according to the latest data, less than one percent of the community’s residents are positive for the virus. Those in the community who are currently in quarantine are being assisted by the Kiryah’s Vaad in obtaining everything they need.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
8 Responses
The goal of the various quarantine measures was to keep the patient load on hospitals manageable. The measures don’t reduce the total number of people affected over time unless the virus weakens, as it has in some parts of the world.
We are reopening too soon. 🙁
So, what’s the big news? That a chareidi community obeys civil authorities (in addition to Halachah)? That government regulators can get something right? That observing government regulations can help control the spread of a pandemic?
Now, if we could just get Williamsburg and Boro Park to go along ….
As the article states, I put it in simplified terms:
Opening shuls = virus outbreak = high risk of someone dying.
Please use proper English. It should be “there are” as “cases” is plural.
That’s what happens when you lock-down. There is no herd immunity. Everywhere it’s going down and in Israel it’s going up for the same reason.
A Refiah Sheleima to all choilay Yisroel.
When people are effectively in quarantine for 3 months that doesn’t make them all immune. It just makes them unexposed. All it took was one person to show up from outside the community to expose them all at once.