To our dear fellow members of Anash in Crown Heights,
Unfortunately, we have a confirmed new case of COVID here in our community. It involves someone who went to one of the hotspot states and returned, and shortly after developed symptoms and tested positive. This individual is young and doing well, and has been cautioned to isolate.
On the one hand, it is reassuring that it is not a case of “community spread”, as it was picked up elsewhere. On the other hand, this is how community spread can begin, especially in a framework of questionably waning immunity, and this highlights the critically important message related to travel that we have been addressing these past few updates.
Bringing in the virus from other communities, at a time when we suspect reinfection may be possible, is a worrisome combination. Purim-time we had no idea of what was happening, and what was to come. Now we stand in a position where in a COVID world of many unknowns, we do need to apply common sense and be aware, in a way that is unique, that we are all faced with the awesome responsibility of taking care of each other.
We know that travel has from the outset and to this day resulted in significantly increased rates of infection. Ignoring social distancing and not wearing masks when in close contact with others all INCREASE the risk of contracting and hence sharing the virus. Quarantine restrictions are in place, not because they are popular, but as a way of protecting the vulnerable; those that choose to expose themselves have to bear responsibility and follow the rules put in place. This is obviously for the safety of the whole community.
We wish to never forget the lessons that we learned over the past 4 months. “Vehachai yitain el libo”. We are one family, recovering. Never again can we go through such loss. In the same way that we took care of each other in times of great need, now as things get easier, we need to continue to think of our neighbor first.
Therefore:
-
Take care with social distancing, and mask use when in close contact (particularly indoors).
-
If you don’t feel well get tested immediately, and isolate until your status is cleared by a physician.
-
If you are tested positive, then you must isolate, and all those who were in close contact with you must quarantine.
-
Travel less and only when absolutely necessary.
-
If arriving from one of the hotspot states, you must strictly quarantine for 14 days, even with a negative test.
To clarify some terms:
-
Quarantine relates to one who is not sick or testing positive, but who has been exposed to one who is; quarantine lasts for 14 days from exposure, even if one tests negative during those 14 days.
-
Isolation relates to one who is sick with COVID or tests positive, and it lasts 10 days after onset of illness AND at least 3 days of feeling well. (In the event one tests positive but has no symptoms, isolation lasts either 10 days from positive test OR after 2 negative tests separated by 24 hours.)
-
Both quarantine and isolation require the individual to stay home and separate from all others who may be susceptible.
-
Please take isolation/quarantine very seriously. Someone’s life may depend on it!
If you have any new COVID symptoms, please fill out this survey: New COVID Symptoms
For any COVID related questions, please email chcovid@gmail.com.
We remain optimistic that what we are seeing is sporadic in nature only and no cause for general alarm, nevertheless for obvious reasons we wish everyone to pay attention to all of the above.
Looking forward to a healthy and happy summer for all.
Wishing everyone continued good health,
-
The Gedaliah Society, in conjunction with Dr. Rosen
At least take on a hachlata to wear masks in shuls and all stores, especially the grocery store! I am just wondering how it’s acceptable to go to a grocery without a mask?
If you believe a mask will protect you then go ahead and wear one.
Don’t force it upon anyone.
A mask is not to protect oneself. It shows your Ahavas Yisroel and your care for each and every other person no matter how different they are from you! – and protects others from YOU!!!! should you have covid without knowing (which is one of the ways it is spread!)
This isn’t about *your* choice. Kol Yisroel Areivim – each one of us has a responsibility for others – and the decision not to wear a mask does *direct* damage to others in our community. You have a choice to not wear a mask, but if you want to make it and show you have *zero* ahavas yisroel, then please choose to stay home as well.
I am not in a public grocery store. Otherwise you do it for the safety of the klal. It’s purely selfish not to
Masks protect others so please don’t be selfish. And if everyone wears masks then the chance of infection is minute
Did you ever hear from the media which mask is best? Or how to properly use a mask? No.
It’s not your health they have in mind. It’s about control. Tyranny.
If a mask works, why the 6 feet distance?
If the 6 feet distance works, why the mask?
If both work, why the lockdown?!
Every precaution adds.
(Yes, you figured out that no “one” solution is perfect on its own, the more measures we take, the more we lower the chance or at least speed of spread)
This has got to be the most idiotic comment of the day.
Masks are for when social distancing is not possible.
The lockdown may or may not have been a good idea, but obviously it is more effective than masks which helps to a certain
Degree.
If seatbelts work why the airbags
If airbags work why the seatbelts
If both work why the brakes?
Freedom is a great cause to fight for but this is about public health, it’s sad that in crown heights where 80+ people died in a matter of weeks people don’t get that.
Have a bit of ahavas yisroel
Ever considered that it can be a combination of things that help limit the spread?
Would it be so weird if you saw someone using a rain coat and an umbrella?
If the seatbelts work, why the airbags?
If airbags work, why the seatbelts?
If both work, why the brakes?
These have diff purposes!
Lockdown, masks and social distancing is all for one purpose.
I’m sorry wearing a mask is so hard for you but I would like my parents and everyone else in the community to stay healthy and live till 120.. so please don’t give that kind of sad response to a deadly virus.
Is contact tracing being done for this case to limit spread ?
Doctors offices has 3-4 day turn around for testing living in the dark ages ??? Especially in a new enviroment and community exposure ?
You think that’s bad? In Arizona, where they’re soo bad, basically where we New Yorkers were theyre turn around is 8-9 days!!! Ridiculous :((
Wear a mask! Even if the update says to wear a mask when indoors and in close quarters, please, please, be a mentch and wear a mask in public all the time! It may not suit you, or be so comfortable, but it is a decent, respectful act of courtesy towards your fellow citizens. We should be a community that exemplifies this, not the community that thumbs our high-in-the-air noses at it. And, it may very well soon be legally rquired to wear a mask at all times in public. And by the way for those who think a mask… Read more »
There are many fellow citizens in the street or stores with masks. For them to see us without masks is, to put it lightly, the total opposite of Kiddush Hashem…
I am appalled that people are not wearing masks in 770.
halacha demands that we protect ourselves and others
What camps are this person’s kids in? I’m sorry but seriously? This is ridiculous. This person should have been isolating for 14 days upon return anyway. Don’t be shoitim folks
Many people from Florida and other places traveled to ch to take their kids to camp this puts the entire community at risk. The camps should not allow any out of towners to come to ch
today when seeing my son off to camp i was one of the only ones with a mask
To put on a mask it’s to protect you and others !
In Israel was one guy recently was with carona and wear a mask . He didn’t know that he has it. And was with friends. Because he wears a mask he protected them and his friends was fine !!
You have to be strict a bout that it’s not a joke.
People in the shchuna wearing no mask it’s in responseble. Think a bout other people that call pure ahavas israel !!
If one can get reinfected despite herd immunity and antibodies, what good is a vaccine?
Also, to the “wear a mask” advocates, if you’re wearing a mask and consider that it protects you – why are you worrying about others not wresting a mask?
That attitude of selfishness.
“As long as YOU are protected with a mask, who cares what happens to anyone else?”
But even from a selfish perspective: Masks don’t protect 100% (think surfaces, door handles), and therefore I selfishly want less people around me infected, for my own protection too, even though I wear a mask.
You have to understand what each of these mean in order to answer your question. Regarding… * herd immunity is when a community is secluded & isolated enough that it can strengthen its collective immunity. I don’t see Crown Heights being able to accomplish that because there are people constantly traveling in and out. And once we have even 1 one case you run the risk of the herd immunity breaking down * antibodies is dependent on each individual. It’s all about the body, somehow, gaining enough antibodies against corona which strengthens that person’s immunity. But every single person’s body… Read more »
There are two paths to herd immunity for COVID — vaccines and infection.
Seclusion and isolation will not accomplish herd immunity.
We don’t yet know how long antibody immunity lasts. Masks protect those around you. Even those wearing masks. Two masks on two people together means double protection. Apparently people don’t understand herd immunity. It doesn’t work if people come and go from the herd!
There are two paths to herd immunity for COVID — vaccines and infection.
Seclusion and isolation will not accomplish herd immunity.
Wearing a mask isn’t expected to protect you. It protects other people from you. To protect you, it’s the other people who have to wear masks.
Masks are primarily to protect others not yourself
Why do you assume there is herd immunity? No one has ever said we reached herd immunity. It’s way too early in the life of this disease to even know what percentage has to be infected to reach this stage. Is it 60%? 85%? 90%? We don’t know yet, that’s why a vaccine is so crucial. It’s also possible that the vaccine would reduce complications and negative side effects, not completely eradicate the disease. As far as wearing a mask, a mask is partially effective if one person is wearing it and doubly as effective if both people are wearing… Read more »
What’s the point of wearing a mask if you have antibodies. Only one person in the whole CH got re-infected and probably he was carrying the virus the whole time till the resurgence of the symptoms. Why make people wear a mask for no reason
Didn’t get sick yet. 30% were never infected and its to protect them and others. Judaism places great importance on human life…. no? Also, it’s really not a bother in a store.
“probably” = speculation/ignorance.
Facts: Not only did he have antibodies, it was learned that he was exposed to someone infected at his workplace, AND he infected his son.
Folks in Crown Heights were told by their doctors that Corona is over there. How irresponsible of them! Crown Heights is not a walled city. People come and go. Regardless of doctor’s advice. I know of another Crown Heightser who recently contracted Covid on a private plane. And what is with all the simchos indoors without masks or social distancing? I’m afraid people don’t understand herd immunity. It doesn’t work if people come and go.
For your information the surgical masks- those you commonly see that are blue on one side , white on the other- those protect other people from your germs but dont protect you from others. The ones referred to as n95’s protect others from your germs and protect you from other people’s germs. Those who think masks are an attempt by big government to control us are sadly mistaken. If we had known about masks in CH early on, many lives could have been saved and much sickness and suffering could have been avoided. I cant get over how so many… Read more »
It protects you and others.
All those who are worried just quarantine L’olom Voed for ever and ever. Don’t go out, don’t buy food don’t go to shul. Don’t open your door for anyone Just wear your mask
When will it be OK to take our masks off, when we have a vaccine? If reinfection is not possible, we don’t have much to worry about. If reinfection is possible, a vaccine is useless.
The average masks are to prevent one’s own droplets from one’s own mouth reaching far out – so it can possibly infect others. Because so much is still unknown – as to who may be infectious – even if tested negative, even if no symptoms, or how long it takes to shed all traces of the virus after recovering… it is a mark of SELFLESSNESS to wear a mark – to PROTECT THE NEXT ONE. EACH PROTECTS THE OTHER Very important and can make all the difference. No one wants to be responsible for SPREADING. – if a little care… Read more »
don’t need masks so they are no longer contagious.
are you trying to prove that you are uneducated? where did you get your medical degree. you are saying the opposite of what our medical professionals are saying. antibodies provide protection for the short term…perhaps the very short term. reinfection is happening. wear your mask…the life you save may be one of your own
is our community rachama l’zlan becoming part of the dem party?? 99.50% survival rate. for rioting and looting theres no need for social distancing & masks. in Oregon only white are obligated to wear a mask not blacks
It is ridiculous to read some of these comments, by members of our community. Crown heights is not immune from the problems the wider world is facing at the present. At the very least, all people that attend 770 and shules should be wearing face masks, as well as in supermarkets. And don’t get me started on lchaims and weddings that have started again indoors. Wearing a mask in a supermarket or in 770 doesn’t have to be for your protection if you feel bulletproof from corona, for some reason. It shows your fellow community members, that you care and… Read more »
“It’s just a mask” will turn into “It’s just a vaccine,” very quickly. In less than 5 months, our government has successfully divided the country into “obedient mask wearers”, and “selfish people who refuse to wear masks.” In less than 5 months, our government has dictated which events are acceptable and we are allowed to attend, and which are not allowed. Violent riots are acceptable and encouraged, while family gatherings and celebrations are not allowed. Standing in a graduation line is a “safety hazard,” but lining up at big-box stores is not. In less than 5 months, our government succeeded… Read more »