We continue to investigate the issue of reinfection, where a patient suffered COVID back in March, and then recovered fully and developed antibodies. He then became ill again with a COVID like illness after being exposed at work, and had a nasal swab positive for Coronavirus. Even more worrisome was that one of his children then also became ill from him, with a positive COVID nasal swab. B”H they are both recovering at this time, seemingly without complication. As this is a fairly unique and unexpected situation, the patients involved are being fully investigated at this time by researchers interested in the immune response to COVID, its durability, and other important issues, which remain to be clarified. A handful of other cases are being actively worked up in the neighborhood, however currently there certainly is NO need for panic that we are witnessing a “second wave”. Nevertheless given the serious nature of COVID and the knowledge that antibodies are rapidly declining in many people, along with the above case, and complicated by many visitors from out of town including from “hotspots” around the country, we find it necessary to issue the following advisory.
For the past few weeks we have been operating on “green light” mode, feeling safe that most had experienced the virus and that collective immunity would protect us all, including the vulnerable. This allowed us to gradually open up and resocialize, even bringing the vulnerable out of seclusion. This “green light” mode was in distinct contrast to our “red light” mode in the weeks following Purim, when we were in a time of crisis. However, with all of the concerns stated above (given the potential danger of a single vulnerable person becoming ill), we feel it prudent to move to a “yellow light” mode at the present time. We are not in the same state of urgency as we were during the worst stage of the crisis, but we are in a more heightened state of alert than we have been these past few weeks. We must all be exceedingly cautious to ensure that our community does not experience a resurgence. Hopefully these cases are isolated phenomena, nevertheless one case is too much!
Therefore:
• Please be extremely cautious with respect to social distancing, mask use, and hand washing. This is for everyone in the community, whether or not you’ve been sick already and whether or not you’re in a high risk category.
• Please avoid crowded indoor settings. This applies to shuls as well, which according to NYS guidelines should currently be operating at reduced (25%) capacity. In addition, mask use is of particular importance in the indoor setting such as shuls and the like. Large shuls where there is significant crowding, visitors from elsewhere, and lack of mask wearing are a very worrisome phenomenon and should be avoided.
• Kiddushim/farbrengens in shul causes an additional concern, given the inevitable crowding, lack of mask use, and potential for shared secretions. These should be avoided at this time. The after-davening kiddush where everyone is finally relaxing and has their guard down is not the place to be for anyone who is safety minded.
• Those from other communities – please, avoid visiting Crown Heights for the time being. This is even more critical when involving those from the “hotspot” states such as Florida and California, where cases are unfortunately surging. NY State requires a 14-day quarantine for all those from those regions. Similarly, those currently living in Crown Heights are advised to not visit those hotspot states for the time being, and they must quarantine on their return if they do so.
• If anyone has any new COVID symptoms (fever, sore throat, cough, loss of smell, muscle aches, etc), regardless of whether you may have had COVID already before, please arrange to get tested for the virus.
Please isolate yourself until the results of the virus test are back, and your close contacts should minimize their going out as much as possible.
If the virus test is positive, please isolate yourself until both 10 days from symptom onset have passed AND 3 days of resolution of fever/symptoms have passed. Your close contacts should quarantine for 14 days from your onset of symptoms.
If the virus test is negative and you remain ill, then please continue to isolate yourself and get tested a second time after 2 days, to avoid missing the diagnosis. If again negative then you do not need to isolate yourself, and your close contacts do not need to quarantine.
If you have any new COVID symptoms, please fill out this survey: New COVID Symptoms
Wishing everyone continued good health,
The Gedaliah Society, in conjunction with Dr. Rosen
The Rebbe said to listen to Rabbonim and medical experts. The Rabbonim have a psak for out of towners not to come to our schuna. Dr. Rosen writes it in black… Let’s not make a joke out of this. Can the Rabbonim write a letter that it is forbidden for out of towners to enter our shuls and local day camps. How can we allow these people to participate? Our schuna basically has herd immunity and it needs to be kept that way. It’s dangerous and will just encourage more visitations if we allow everyone to intermingle in shul, camps,… Read more »
If you had herd immunity , you have nothing to fear.
But the bottom line is nobody has herd immunity. Your community is wreckless. Stop the madness. Wear masks and distance
that those in CH stay put and do not go to other locations either….It’s for everyone’s protection.
so why was there recently a massive farbrengen in 770 with no one wearing masks, no social distancing, food and l’chaim?
After all the restrictions of “red light” phase, everything seemed safe and so most people went back to “green light” of no masks, no distancing, crowded events etc.
This letter is saying we have to take a step back and live in “yellow light” phase – not go into isolation again, but wear masks and keep social distancing.
Terrified to return to CH. terrified to go into a store there with no one having any common decency and wearing masks. Will schools at least comply with safety protocols? Temps taken before entering schools?
It’s tough I know.
This is letter was published July 2 which is (checks calendar …) today.
That massive farbregan … well that wasn’t today.
All clear now?
what’s the point? to avoid going to 770? so then signs should be hung up in 770 to socially distance, and wear a mask no?
thank you so much for your amazing and dedicated support ,during this coronavirus/covid-19 pandemic!. unfortunately we are returning to a “yellow light”. in the letter to the residents of the Shechuna it stresses 2 points. 1) that we must follow the instructions of the Dr.s and HealthCare professionals , to wear a mask, social distance, don’t go to an overcrowded place. 2) guests should not come to crown heights as it can be a danger to the vulnerable and cha”v for anyone. but yet all these warnings and letters have fallen to deaf ears: for example 1) 770 is open… Read more »
Need to enforce this in 770. It is filled from 6am to late at night; not 25% of capacity, it is 2x or 3x the legal capacity. No masks, no distancing. Either enforce the rules 100%, or else close it down again.
Why is no one listening to any of this. They never said you can not wear masks if ur not socially distanced. Why In crown heights supermarkets is no one wearing a mask.
Crown Heights is not a walled city! Why did Crown Heights doctors declare Corona to be at an end weeks ago? People go out to work and come back. Visitors show up even when you ask them not to. A big part of the problem is some of the same Doctors who were AW0L at the height of the crises then declared it over. So many people became lax. People are dancing together indoors hand in hand, our summer camps reopen even when the rest of the world is being cautious. We do not know enough about this virus to… Read more »
Does this mean that every “repeat
Case” will be in crown heights? That would be a real plague
Many of the visitors that are showing up are coming in because the crown heights schools/camps are telling us to. We need to clear our dorms and apartments. How else are we supposed to get our children to camp? How else are we supposed to get kosher food?
…a “green light”, if in fact there was one given. No one under no standards is in “green light” phase in NYS. The governor has repeatedly said that local “guidance” against state requirements means nothing…sure anyone can say their doctors said this or that, but the rules still apply. We’re backtracking because people all over, including CH, have treated “green light” as “before COVID–anything goes!”, and that is not a place that anywhere is actually in. Why wait for it to get bad again, like by Purim? Didn’t we learn?
which herd are you?
each person Hashem created has Bichira/Choice.
when choice is taken away from you; by the government, medical workers, or your boss- you can start thinking there has got to be something wrong….
OPEN YOUR MIND.
Your choice to wear pants, but most bosses and rabbonim will require you to wear clothing in the supermarket and shul.
When they take that choice away from you- something is wrong.
We In crown heights got hit hard. In fact probably as hard as anywhere in the world. Lag Baomer 2/3 of crown heights were wearing masks. However For more than a month there hasn’t been a single new case. Bh. For that reason Ppl were being less cearful, and the doctors and Rabbonim didn’t say anything publicly becouse there was a lot less to be concerned about. So yes. The relaxation was justified. And no I didn’t wear a mask for the past week. Now the doctors are saying that there is cause for heightened caution, so now we as… Read more »
we should have been wearing masks and social distancing all along…the docs said we could end quarantine but still be aware that we are in a pandemic and take precautions. no one in this community wants to listen
People who wore masks in March- April still got Covid