In a conference call on Tuesday with the White House, Chassidic rabbis and leaders of the Orthodox community were told to follow the U.S. government’s measures and guidance to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) seriously.
After the 45-minute call, the chief Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, ordered all schools, shuls and yeshivahs in the Chassidic area of Kiryas Joel in Upstate New York to close.
The White House call was led by assistant to the president Avi Berkowitz.
Reportedly, more than 100 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the neighborhood of Borough Park in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“This was in direct violation of the directives that are in place to protect all people’s health and safety,” NYFD spokesperson James Long told The New York Times. “We inspected it, and it was recommended to end the event because of the state’s guidelines and directives regarding Covid-19.”