BROOKLYN (JTA) — Parts of Brooklyn that had high COVID test positivity rates in early October, including some with large Orthodox Jewish communities, will face fewer restrictions after seeing the rates fall.
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The neighborhoods labeled “red zones” last month have been reduced to “orange,” the middle level for restrictions. One of the neighborhoods is Midwood, which has a sizable Orthodox population.
“Brooklyn has made great progress and we reduced the red zone by 50% last week based on the progress,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at a news conference Monday.
While the orange designation will allow some nonessential businesses to reopen, schools remain closed. Religious services are restricted to 33% capacity, up from 25%, with a maximum attendance of 25 people, and mass gatherings can have 10 people at most. High-risk nonessential businesses like gyms and salons remain closed.
Restrictions on the Brooklyn neighborhoods were a source of tension last month as local Orthodox Jews protested the new rules, which kept public and private schools as well as nonessential businesses closed. The easing of the limits comes as cases continue to rise across New York City and state. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday morning that the city recorded 779 new daily cases and Cuomo announced a statewide COVID test positivity rate of 2.8%.
If the seven-day average positivity rate in New York City goes above 3%, the city’s public schools will automatically close. The seven-day rolling average rate hit 2.21% on Monday.
Last week, all restrictions were removed from Far Rockaway, a neighborhood in the borough of Queens with a large Orthodox Jewish community, after the positivity rate there remained in the 1-2% range. The Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park was taken out of the red zone last week.
Councilman Chaim Deutsch confirmed the news on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/ChaimDeutsch/status/1325845630015721475
Councilman Chaim Deutsch,
This is a call for action. We need to channel our Trump energy into the NYC mayor elections. We need a candidate that will stand up against this evil dictator Cuomo. We need to protect our institutions and religious rights. Now is the time to rise up and build a collation with business leaders and other communities hurt by this evil rasha. We did it in 93 lets do it now again. Lets get a Rudy like mayor who will make NYC the greatest city on the world again.
(Unlike by trump when people asked when was it a great country, here the answer is simple. NYC we great during Rudy)
the positivity rate for nyc is inching toward 3% there will be total lockdowns in 2-3 weeks
Hey Vin where is the either news of the day? Cuomo will refuse vaccines bec its coming from Trump. I know phineas will have some “science ” reason why Cuomo drei kup response has substance. But here is the bitter truth. Cuomo uses Covid to advance himself and take revenge against his opponents or people that stand in the way of his honor and books. Its what dictators do when they have to much power. Dumb people are not smart enough to get that.
at least one benefit that comes from cuomo thinking his stuffed puppet had won the election is that he will relax his grip on the throat of the chareidim in brooklyn