New Hatzola (Rockland County) Corona hotline

BS"D

New Hatzolah Alert Hotline, in Yiddish (Rockland) 

845.582.7770

I urge the relevant PR venues to publish that number prominently every day for a few days now. They're warning the Yiddish speaking communities in the language they best understand.

Unfortunately, despite escalating Corona fatalities, there are still numerous people who still don't grasp the gravity of the situation, as evidenced by the listening audience calling into the four hour marathon conference-call lastnight, performed by New-Age quackmaster Yakov Vishnevsky, of Nerofei Inc. (Www.nerofei.com  Office: (732) 497-2448, Cell: (215) 421-8539,  Jv@nerofei.com; attached are two sample segments [from about 1am this morning]; listen to about 1 minute into part v17).

It also appears likely that other outside financial interests, like antivaccination guru Del Bigtree, are actively pouring money into propaganda being pumped into local communities, as they did in the measles outbreak, for which they were largely responsible.

Misinformation is killing people.

New-Age quack missionaries never seem to learn, but that doesn't stop them from "teaching" - propagating their encyclopedic ignorance of medicine.

And in some cases, the MORE educated the quack practitioners are, the MORE dangerous they are - because they throw around pseudoscientific sophistry, duping even some intelligent people. (I.e., we'd be better off if these quacks never learned science altogether.)

Thank you,

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter

Help Rescue Our Children,

Tomim Tih'yeh [countering New Age infiltration]

Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6


3: Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard

The John Hopkins website offers a lot of details by country, with as much or as little detail as you want. John Hopkins was designed for public health authorities, researchers, and you.

Rand Paul defends actions amid criticism for staying at Capitol as he awaited coronavirus test results

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rand-paul-faces-criticism-awaited-coronavirus-test-result

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was on the receiving end of withering criticism from Senate colleagues after it appeared he was still tending to his typical business at the U.S. Capitol after being tested for the coronavirus — his results came back positive Sunday.

But in an extensive statement Monday afternoon, Paul defended his handling of the situation, saying he got tested simply because he and his wife had traveled extensively in recent weeks and he's at higher risk due to having part of his lung removed following an assault.

"I felt that it was highly unlikely that I was positive since I have had no symptoms of the illness, nor have I had contact with anyone who has either tested positive for the virus or been sick," he said.

Paul said he remains "asymptomatic" and said to his critics: “For those who want to criticize me for lack of quarantine, realize that if the rules on testing had been followed to a tee, I would never have been tested and would still be walking around the halls of the Capitol. The current guidelines would not have called for me to get tested nor quarantined.  It was my extra precaution, out of concern for my damaged lung, that led me to get tested.

 

Rand Paul Tests Positive for Coronavirus Days After His Father Dismissed Panic Over the Disease as a Hoax

 https://www.newsweek.com/rand-pauls-father-wrote-coronavirus-hoax-article-days-before-son-tested-positive-covid-19-1493662

Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul's father, former Texas Congressman Ron Paul, penned an article titled "The Coronavirus Hoax," just six days before his son became the first U.S. senator to test positive for COVID-19.

Ron Paul – The Coronavirus Hoax

 https://www.fitsnews.com/2020/03/16/guest-column-ron-paul-the-coronavirus-hoax/

The chief fearmonger of the Trump Administration is without a doubt Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Fauci is all over the media, serving up outright falsehoods to stir up even more panic. He testified to Congress that the death rate for the coronavirus is ten times that of the seasonal flu, a claim without any scientific basis.

WILL COVID-19 HIT THE RESET BUTTON ON RABBINIC CORRUPTION

הדרמה בהר נוף בעקבות התפשטות הנגיף בשכונה: מרן פוסק הדור בהוראה על האפשרות להתפלל ביחידות, ועל סגירת השטיבלאך המרכזי בשכונה, "מי שלא מציית להוראות עתיד ליתן את הדין"‎

הדרמה בהר נוף בעקבות 


התפשטות הנגיף בשכונה: הוראתו הדרמטית של מרן פוסק הדור  על שינוי סדר היום בשכונה, "מי שלא מציית להוראות עתיד ליתן את הדין"

עם התפרצות הנגיף בשכונת הר נוף: מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א בהוראה לתושבים אין חובה להתפלל במניין עקב סכנת הידבקות, מי שלא חש בטוב ויוצא מהבית עתיד ליתן את הדין.

בימים האחרונים אובחנו מספר תושבים חרדים בשכונת הר נוף בירושלים כנושאי נגיף הקורונה. התושבים הסתובבו במרכזי התפילה והתורה בהר נוף, דבר שעורר חשש כבד להתפשטות הנגיף בשכונה.

היום בבוקר התכנסו רבני וגבאי השטיבלאך המרכזי של הר נוף "אמרי שפר" להתייעצות במעונו של ראש הישיבה ומרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א, לקבלת החלטות באשר להמשך תפעולו של ה'שטיבלאך' המרכזי בשכונה לאור התפשטות הנגיף בשכונה.

במהלך האסיפה הובאו דבריו של ד"ר סלוצקין המתגורר בשכונה, כי קיים חשש רציני להתפשטות הנגיף בצורה ניכרת בשכונה, וכי השיא בשכונה עוד לפנינו ויש לנקוט באמצעי זהירות קפדניים לצמצום התפשטות הנגיף.

יצויין כי כבר בשבוע שעבר נכנס ראש הקהילה הגאון רבי יעקב משה שפיצר שליט"א למעונו של הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א לשאול אם לסגור את השטילבאך. מרן פוסק הדור  השיב שלא יסגרו מיד כדי שלא לגרום לבהלה בציבור, ויש להמתין ולהודיע קודם לציבור כי אם לא יקיימו התקנות יסגרו את בית המדרש.

היום (ב') לאחר התפשטות הנגיף בשכונה, ועם קבלת הנתונים מכלל הגורמים המקצועיים, הורה מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך בסיומה של האסיפה שהתקיימה במעונו, על מספר הוראות דרמטיות בשינוי סדר היום בשכונה.

א] לסגור את השטילבאך המרכזי אמרי שפר כדי לצמצמם את התפשטות הנגיף בשכונה.

ב] יש להודיע לכלל התושבים כי אין חובה להתפלל במניין עקב סכנת הידבקות

ג] מי שלא חש בטוב לא ייצא מהבית, והמפר הוראות אלו הרי הוא מזיק את הרבים ועתיד ליתן את הדין.

בעקבות כך פורסמו הבוקר בשכונת הר נוף בירושלים מודעות הקוראות לציבור מטעם מרן פוסק הדור  הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א: "בעקבות ריבוי המקרים של חולי קורונה שבקרו בבתי הכנסת כאן בשכונת הר נוף, אין חובה להתפלל במנין עקב סכנת הידבקות", "וכל מי שלא מרגיש בטוב וחש איזה חולשה שהיא, אסור באיסור גמור לצאת מהבית ולא לבוא לבית הכנסת בשום פנים ואופן, ומי שמפר את זה הרי הוא מזיק את הרבים ועתיד ליתן עליו את הדין, ובבואו לבית הכנסת עובר בגזל".

כמו כן בבית המדרש המרכזי בהר נוף "אמרי שפר" הוציאו הודעה על סגירת בית המדרש המרכזי אמרי שפר, והתושבים התבקשו לקחת את חפציהם האישיים כמו טלית ותפילין מבית המדרש עד היום – טרם סגירת בית המדרש החל ממחר בבוקר.

מכתב הרופא שגרם לשינוי בדעת הראב"ד הגר"מ שטרנבוך

https://www.kikar.co.il/352541.html

ראב"ד בד"צ העדה החרדית פרסם היום הנחיה הלכתית שאין חובה להתפלל במניין. 'כיכר השבת' חושף מה הביא לשינוי בדעתו ולפרסום ההנחיה החריגה • וגם: הפסק לתושבי ארה"ב

 

No buses, strolls or shopping: Drastic new restrictions said set to be applied

https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-buses-strolls-or-shopping-drastic-new-restrictions-said-set-to-be-applied/

Government reportedly to announce strictest limitations yet, including shuttering all stores but food markets and pharmacies and keeping people within 150 meters of home

 

Fauci on Trump: 'I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down'

https://edition.cnn.com/

Fauci also said he had never used the term "China virus." Asked if he ever would, Fauci responded, "No."

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/23/politics/fauci-trump-science-interview/index.html

Fauci also said he had never used the term "China virus." Asked if he ever would, Fauci responded, "No."

 

New-Agers Making Plagues Great Again

BSD

New-Agers Making Plagues Great Again:

Just when we most need frum people to jettison the dangerous new-age/ avoda zoroh and kefira based worldview that provided a grave boost to the recent American measles outbreak, new-age quacks are doubling down on spouting their encyclopediac ignorance of all matters medical and scientific.

This following phone conference is held by new age quackmaster:

"Conference lead by 

Holistic Health Practitioner, Yakov Vishnevsky,  Nerofei Inc, 

Www.nerofei.com 

Office: (732) 497-2448 

Cell: (215) 421-8539 

Jv@nerofei.com"

His website says enough... energy  therapies, Health Kinesiology, spiritual healing, one brain, yoga, homeopathy...

 

Please alert those who can counteract this propaganda, giving people false hope with false information, and mixing theological nonsense with medical nonsense.

PS: An important clarification re an earlier email today, addressing HIPAA confidentiality laws is in order. Those laws only apply to certain people (e.g. practitioners),and allow exceptions for protection of the safety and lives of others.

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Tomim Tih'yeh

TorahJewsForDecency@gmail.com

Here is a most recent example of new-age propagandists targeting frum communities internationally:

------- Original message --------

From: 

Date:03/22/2020 4:38 PM (GMT-05:00)

To: 

Subject:

Two FREE live Conference calls  tonight with NEW INFORMATION.      Two different times.  For Israel audience in English. 3:30 pm us est time and for american audience in English  9:30 pm us est.  Interpretors are  welcome if available."

 

Dial-in number (US): (774) 258-6612 International dial-in numbers: https://stme.in/i/jv4  Online meeting ID: jv4. Join the online meeting: https://join.startmeeting.com/jv4. PW:123       

 Practical and detailed instructions on how to improve the body's ability to fight Corona-like infections and symptoms.  Traditional Jewish, >>>spiritual, and >>> holistic methods of protecting and strengthening your immune system will be discussed in detail.  Learn how to empower the immune system with available foods and natural products.  There will be a >>> meditation session targeting those with symptoms and those with stress and anxiety." 

Conference lead by 

Holistic Health Practitioner, Yakov Vishnevsky,  Nerofei Inc, 

Www.nerofei.com 

Office: (732) 497-2448 

Cell: (215) 421-8539 

Jv@nerofei.com

Guest speaker Integrative Physician and Gastroenterologist, Dr.  Alexandra Shustina www.wholegut.com 

(212) 634-4233. 

Q and A after event.  Any information provided during this conference call is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease."

Please try online login first if possible.  Last conference call many  people were unable to join due to capacity of 1000 on phone line."

1,238 Israelis infected with coronavirus

https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/945-Israelis-test-positive-for-coronavirus-621857

 As of Monday morning, 24 people are considered in serious condition - an increase of four people from press time on Sunday.

 

Brooklyn: Hundreds in isolation after being infected

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/277631

According to reports from weekend, dozens are in moderate to serious condition, some of whom are on respiration and need people’s prayers.

 

Saying Kaddish from balconies and fasting: The Haredi response to coronavirus

https://www.timesofisrael.com/saying-kaddish-from-balconies-and-fasting-the-haredi-response-to-coronavirus/

Social distancing takes hold in the particularly communal ultra-Orthodox community; leaders come up with makeshift workarounds during an unprecedented halt to religious rituals

 

Hannity claims he’s “never called the virus a hoax” 9 days after decrying Democrats’ “new hoax”

https://www.vox.com/2020/3/20/21186727/hannity-coronavirus-coverage-fox-news

Sean Hannity’s coronavirus coverage underwent a remarkable transformation in just a week. And it’s not just him — the shift is emblematic of a broader trend at Fox News.

At first, Hannity took an antagonistic approach to coronavirus coverage, even using the word “hoax” as recently as 10 days ago. “This scaring the living hell out of people — I see it, again, as like, let’s bludgeon Trump with this new hoax,” Hannity said during his March 9 broadcast, during a segment in which he downplayed the risk of coronavirus to everyone except for people with compromised immune systems and older individuals.

He even cited “coronavirus hysteria” just two days after alleging a “hoax.”

 But Hannity is now singing a different tune. While he’s still singing the praises of Trump and trying to shift blame for the coronavirus onto China, Hannity is now urging his viewers to take the coronavirus seriously. Alluding to the social distancing guidelines recommended by the White House’s coronavirus task force and others, Hannity on Tuesday night told his viewers to “take the following crucial precautions over the next couple of weeks. Do it why? Because we love our grandmothers, our grandfathers, our older moms and dads. They are the most vulnerable. They are the most at risk.”

Fox News' dangerous hypocrisy on the coronavirus, exposed

 https://www.salon.com/2020/03/19/fox-news-dangerous-hypocrisy-on-the-coronavirus-exposed_partner/

Of all the shameful things that Fox News has done over the years, its most blatantly irresponsible might very well be the weeks its hosts spent claiming that coronavirus wasn't nearly as dangerous as liberals in the media were making it out to be and that Democrats exaggerated the threat in order to attack President Donald Trump. But Fox News, like Trump himself, has changed its tone — finally acknowledging the severity of coronavirus. And a video by the Washington Post, titled "How Fox's Coronavirus Has Shifted," shows how dramatic the change has been.

'I'm gonna go to work': How Andrew Cuomo and his press conferences contrast with President Trump

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/22/politics/andrew-cuomo-press-conferences/index.html

The pressers have turned into indelible split screen moments between Cuomo and President Donald Trump -- whose own news conferences often take place during or after those in New York -- unfolding in real time for those watching in New York City. For many viewers, they are a stark and jarring reminder of the broad chasm between the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic and efforts at the state level, where governors like Cuomo are increasingly taking stricter action -- and greater responsibility -- as they seek to stabilize both health infrastructure and ward off a public panic.

Khamenei: Coronavirus could have been made by the US

 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/277663

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday refused US assistance to fight the new coronavirus, claiming the virus could be man-made by America.

"I do not know how real this accusation is but when it exists, who in their right mind would trust you to bring them medication?" Khamenei said, according to The Associated Press. "Possibly your medicine is a way to spread the virus more."

He also alleged without offering any evidence that the virus "is specifically built for Iran using the genetic data of Iranians which they have obtained through different means."

65 Chabad hasidim diagnosed with coronavirus

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/277654

65 Chabad hasidim who arrived from the United States last week and were staying at the Dan Jerusalem Hotel were diagnosed with the coronavirus on Sunday evening.

In coordination with the Ministry of Health, it was decided that the patients would at this stage be transferred to the Shmuel Harofeh Hospital in Be'er Ya'akov.

 

Conspiracy theory that Jews created virus spreads on social media, ADL says

https://www.timesofisrael.com/conspiracy-theory-that-jews-created-virus-spreads-on-social-media-adl-says/

As coronavirus pandemic has impacted across the world, white nationalists have found a familiar bogeyman to blame online. But some of them also see an opportunity

Trump's 'Chinese' Virus Is Part of a Long History of Blaming Other Countries for Disease

https://time.com/5807376/virus-name-foreign-history/

“Research shows that when ordinary citizens see a disease threat as foreign, it can lead those ordinary citizens to not take action,” Dionne says. “So if someone sees this as a quote ‘Chinese’ virus, they might not be as likely to take up important hygiene behaviors like handwashing or social distancing.”

Shah thinks it’s particularly interesting that Trump and many of his allies are doubling down on COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” at a moment when the disease is a global pandemic unconfined to any one region. Fear, he says, may be linked to a desire to fix the blame on someone else. That’s a repeating pattern in U.S. history—and so is the damage it can cause.

 

Coronavirus isn't a 'Chinese virus' no matter what Trump says

https://www.cnet.com/news/coronavirus-isnt-a-chinese-virus-no-matter-what-trump-says/

The counterargument Trump and many of his supporters make is that we've historically named viruses after locations. There's the Spanish flu and the Ebola and Zika viruses. So why the fuss now?

Let's take the Spanish flu, which many cite as an example of a virus being named after its place of origin. In reality, it got its name because Spain during World War I was the first to report that its citizens were dying from the flu, and other countries feared it might hamper their fundraising efforts for the war. The Spanish called it the French flu, and some researchers believe it may have originated in Kansas. 

Also, things have changed. We're a lot more aware of the consequences of being cavalier with our words. In 2015, the WHO established best practices for naming new infectious diseases. The guidelines address the fact that these previous labels carried negative effects on certain populations. (Here's the WHO guide on dealing with social stigma.)

 

Fact-Checking 5 Trump Administration Claims On The Coronavirus Pandemic

https://www.npr.org/2020/03/21/818932167/fact-checking-5-trump-administration-claims-on-the-coronavirus-pandemic

President Trump has made a lot of promises about actions that his administration is taking to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Not all of them have been exactly on the mark — and some have yet to pay off as advertised.

Trump dismisses report on early coronavirus warnings as 'inaccurate

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/21/trump-us-coronavirus-warning-china

On Saturday, Trump, who has made a habit of shooting the media messenger, attacked the Post without dealing with any of the substance of the allegations contained in the reporting.

“I think the Washington Post covers us very inaccurately, covers me very inaccurately,” he told reporters at the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing. “I saw the story. I think it’s a disgrace but it’s the Washington Post and I guess we have to live with it. It’s a very inaccurate –”

 As a journalist tried to interject, Trump raised his hand and snapped: “Quiet, quiet.”

How the Coronavirus Became an American Catastrophe

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-many-americans-are-sick-lost-february/608521/

A study published this week by Imperial College London predicted that unless aggressive action is taken, the coronavirus could kill 2.2 million Americans in the coming months. A day after that study was published, its lead researcher developed a dry cough and fever. He had COVID-19.

 

Coronavirus is revealing how badly the UK has failed its most vulnerable

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/22/uk/coronavirus-homeless-intl-gbr/index.html

 As the novel coronavirus rips through a stunned global population, it's becoming clear that no one can escape the impact it's having on society.

The past few weeks have shown that even the world's wealthiest and most powerful are as likely to contract the virus as anyone else. However, less attention is being paid to the most vulnerable members of society -- those in poverty, people living on the breadline and the homeless.

Washington Post: US intelligence warned Trump in January and February as he dismissed coronavirus threat

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/20/politics/us-intelligence-reports-trump-coronavirus/index.html

President Donald Trump ignored reports from US intelligence agencies starting in January that warned of the scale and intensity of the coronavirus outbreak in China, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Citing US officials familiar with the agencies' reports and warnings, the Post reported that intelligence agencies depicted the nature and global spread of the virus and China's apparent downplaying of its severity, as well as the potential need for government measures to contain it -- while Trump opted to dismiss or simply not address their seriousness.

"Donald Trump may not have been expecting this, but a lot of other people in the government were -- they just couldn't get him to do anything about it," the official noted to the Post. "The system was blinking red."

 

Coronavirus – A Torah Perspective, Rav Elya Brudny, Rav Yisroel Reisman & Rav Bin

A Torah Perspective on the Coronavirus | Rabbi Kelemen

ER Doctor: Trump Is ‘Not Listening To People On The Front Lines’ | The Last Word | MSNBC

Shields and Brooks on American life amid a pandemic

Senate Intel chairman asks Ethics Committee to review stock sales under scrutiny

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/19/politics/richard-burr-coronavirus-comments/index.html

 Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr is asking the Senate Ethics Committee to review his sale of up to $1.7 million in stocks last month ahead of the sharp market decline that's resulted from the novel coronavirus global pandemic, according to Senate documents.

Burr's stock sales have come under fire after he sold them off just days before the market began a downturn as a result of the coronavirus outbreak shutting down businesses and travel in the US and across the world.

Burr said Friday that he did not base his sales on any information he received as chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

There's no indication that the stock sales were made on the basis of any inside information Burr received as a senator, or that he broke any Senate rules by selling the stock. Congress passed the Stock Act in 2012 that made it illegal for lawmakers to use inside information for financial benefit. Burr was one of three senators to vote against the bill.

A 'Chinese Coronavirus'? Officials accuse Trump of stoking xenophobia and violence against Asian-Americans

https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-coronavirus-officials-accuse-trump-stoking-xenophobia-violence-against-asian-americans-1493546

 Organizations and lawmakers throughout California as well as nationally are condemning recent rhetoric by President Donald Trump describing the novel coronavirus. They say his words, intentionally or not, encourage prejudice and violence against people of Chinese or Asian descent. On Thursday a group of civil rights organizations announced the creation of a reporting center to track anti-Asian violence and discrimination in California and across the country. Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), chair of the California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, told Capital & Main that the creation of the site was motivated by more than 300 recent incidents collected from media outlets and other organizations.

 

Is Hydroxychloroquine the Answer to COVID-19 Pandemic? Racing For a Cure

https://www.newsweek.com/2020/04/03/hydroxychloroquine-answer-coronavirus-pandemic-inside-race-find-covid-19-cure-1493349.html

 The antimalarial drug chloroquine, and its derivative, hydroxychloroquine, are also candidates for COVID-19 treatments. Researchers first began testing their ability to halt the spread of viruses during the battle against AIDS. The drugs are designed to interfere with "endocytosis," the process by which a virus or other microbe enters a cell. They have since been shown to have some success in the lab against a wide range of viral diseases including the common cold and the SARS virus. On March 16, Chinese public health officials announced that a clinical trial at 10 hospitals in Beijing, Guangdong and Hunan Provinces involving more than 100 patients showed a positive effect—patients who took chloroquine were more likely to show a reduction in fever, showed clearer lungs on CT scans and reduced the amount of time to recover.

Trump Irresponsible, Dangerous w/Lies & Happy Talk On Fed. Coronavirus Help | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Gupta stunned by Trump-Fauci difference at briefing

Trump will be judged on one thing now -- and it won't be impeachment

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/21/politics/race-for-the-white-house-trump-impeachment-ford-carter-gore-bush/index.html

There's a worldwide pandemic and many Americans are confined to their homes as the US government tries to halt the spread of Covid-19.

So come November, despite being the first impeached President to appear on a presidential ballot afterward, Donald Trump will likely be judged by one thing: His response to the coronavirus.

 

President Trump: FDA is taking rapid steps to make items available for medical use

Trump rants at reporter asking about scared Americans

Coronavirus and chloroquine: Has its use been approved in US?

https://www.bbc.com/news/51980731

 President Trump claims a drug used against malaria has been approved in the United States to treat the new coronavirus.

Chloroquine is one of the oldest and best-known anti-malarial drugs.

So is the president right and what is known about its effectiveness?

Chloroquine has been around for decades. It's no longer recommended in much of Africa because of the resistance built up to it by the malaria parasites.

Some countries have introduced regulations to curb the use of the drug, but it has remained popular in those with an active private-sector drug market and is sold widely.

This is especially true in Nigeria where there have been reports of high demand for chloroquine in pharmacies leading to shortages, in part fuelled by Mr Trump's statement. 

  Chloroquine has not been approved for coronavirus

President Trump, at his daily press briefing, claimed that chloroquine had been approved for use in treating the coronavirus by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). That is the body in charge of licensing medicines in America.

"We're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately. And that's where the FDA has been so great. They've gone through the approval process - it's been approved."

However, the FDA has made it clear it has not been approved for treating those infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus.

"There are no FDA-approved therapeutics or drugs to treat, cure or prevent Covid-19."

However, the FDA does say that studies are under way to see if chloroquine can be effective in the treatment of Covid-19. It also says it has been directed by Mr Trump to set up a large clinical trial to investigate the drug.

 

Trump vs Fauci: President’s gut sense collides with science

https://apnews.com/432a37435f28015e8b45eeff710cd254

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a clash of gut instinct versus science, President Donald Trump and the government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, publicly sparred over whether a malaria drug would work to treat people with coronavirus disease.

Trump clung to his feeling that a malaria drug widely available could be the answer-in-waiting to an outbreak spreading around the nation, shutting down major parts of the economy, and posing the biggest challenge he has faced as president. Calmly and quietly, Fauci insisted that the science is not yet there to validate Trump’s hope. Neither man directly challenged the other.

The extraordinary scene played out on national television Friday during the White House briefing on the outbreak. Anxious for answers, Americans heard conflicting views.

Reporters asked both men — first Fauci, then Trump — if a malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine could be used to prevent COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. A day earlier, when Fauci wasn’t with him at that briefing, Trump had called attention to the drug.

Fox host demands REPUBLICAN Senator's resignation ON AIR

Rabbi Chaim Druckman: 'No reason not to pray with minyan'

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/277522

To the very question of how to act these days during the coronavirus pandemic, the rabbi wrote: "At the same time, we needn't be more strict about Health Ministry guidelines precisely when it comes to sacred matters. If the Health Ministry wouldn't allow one to leave the house, we wouldn't say to leave the house to go pray with a minyan.

"But since there is no such provision, and for certain events, congregations of up to ten people - such as weddings, etc. - are allowed, there's no reason not to pray with a minyan of ten. In Rami Levy Supermarket even 100 people were allowed at one time, in other places they allow up to ten, and there's no reason to be stricter than the Health Ministry."

Rabbi Druckman took the opposite stand to that of the leaders of the Tzohar Rabbinic organization, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, and Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, who instructed people not to attend minyan following the coronavirus epidemic.

Rabbi Druckman went on to write, "Regarding the Shabbat evening prayer, under no circumstances should one make a large, regular minyan in the synagogue. But there can be minyanim in private houses and in each of these houses, ten should gather and pray. A minyan of only ten may also be held in the synagogue."

The rabbi signs the letter, "What we're saying is also true in terms of people's feelings. Saying to people: 'Stay at home' doesn't make them feel good in terms of this entire situation. May G-d grant us all strong health and may we soon be praying with the entire nation of Israel in one minyan."

 

Rav Sternbuch

מכתב בהול ממרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א: "פיקוח נפש, חובה להישמע להוראות הרופאים, אם חלילה לא יצייתו עכשיו להוראות, יש לחשוש שלא יוכלו עוד להציל"

מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א במכתב נחרץ: "פיקוח נפש, חובה להישמע להוראות הרופאים, אם חלילה לא יצייתו עכשיו להוראות, יש לחשוש שלא יוכלו עוד להציל" * במכתבו הורה למוסדות שנסגרו לקיים מסגרות לימוד לעת עתה בחבורות קטנות בבתים תוך שמירה על כללי הניקיון, ועל הרחקה האחד מחבירו

במכתב מיוחד אותו כתב היום מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א, עורר להישמע להוראות הרופאים, והגדיר את המצב כ"פיקוח נפש". בדבריו עורר כי אם ימתינו ולא יפעלו עכשיו, אפשר שלא יוכלו לפעול עוד, ועל כן החובה לפעול בהקדם לצמצום התפשטות המגיפה כפי ההוראות וההנחיות.

במכתבו אף הורה למוסדות שנסגרו לקיים מסגרות לימוד לעת עתה בחבורות קטנות בבתים תוך שמירה על כללי הניקיון, ועל הרחקה האחד מחבירו.

יצויין כי בימים האחרונים אף הורה מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א לסגור מיידית את מרכזי התורה והתפילה הממוקמים במקלטים או בקומות תחתונות בהם אין פתחי אוורור וחלונות – ומסתמכים אך ורק על מערכות מיזוג ואוורור, דבר שמגביר את הסכנה להפצת הנגיף.

כזכור, בתחילת השבוע התכנסו חברי בד"צ העדה החרדית במעונו של הראב"ד מרן הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א לדון בדבר התנהלות מוסדות חינוך בעקבות התקנות החדשות של משרד הבריאות בעניין ההתגוננות מנגיף הקרונה ה"י. במהלך הדיון נפלה ההחלטה כי הלימודים בתלמודי תורה והישיבות יימשכו, אך התלמידים יחולקו לקבוצות קטנות יותר, כמו כן התלמידים לא יתפללו וכן לא יאכלו יחד, ובנוסף יבוטלו לימודי החול בחיידרים, ואף גני הילדים ובתי הספר לבנות יושבתו עד להודעה חדשה. במקביל אף מינו הבד"ץ "וועד עסקנים" שיעמדו בקשר מול המוסדות לפקח על קיום הוראות הבד"ץ בנושא ההיגיינה.

היום – יום חמישי, עם התפשטות נגיף הקורונה לתוככי הציבור החרדי בכלל השכונות והערים, נכנסו ראשי המוסדות הכפופים להוראת הבד"ץ למעונו של מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א לשאול בדבר הנהגתם של המוסדות שהוכרחו להיסגר בעקבות המצב.

מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א השיב במכתב אותו פתח תחילה בהבהרת המצב לאשורו, ועל החובה לשמור על הכללים וההנחיות למניעת התפשטות הנגיף במצב הנוכחי אותו הגדיר כ"פיקוח נפש": "בעוונותינו הרבים מתפשט והולך בעולם מגיפת הקורונה, ויש הרבה נפגעים, חלקם חולים וחלקם מתים רח"ל, ובכל מדינה בעולם עשו תקנות הרחקה כדי למנוע את התפשטות המגיפה, ואף אנו נקיים האזהרות שיש בהם משום פיקוח נפש, וכבר כתב המגיד משנה (פ"ב דבשבת הי"ג) שאפילו אם מת אחד מכל אלף חולים, הרי זה נידון כסכנת נפשות לדון בו דיני הצלה בפיקוח נפש, וא"כ במחלה זו שמתים בה יותר מאחד מאלף חשיב כפיקוח נפש.

בדבריו מוסיף מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א כי אם לא יתעוררו עכשיו לפעול בהקדם, המצב עלול לצאת מכלל שליטה: "החובה מוטלת על כל אחד לפעול כהוראות הרופאים למנוע את התפשטות המחלה, ובפרט במצב זה שרבים הם החולים בזה שאין ניכר עליהם הדבר כלל, ואם ימתינו עוד זמן אפשר שלא יוכלו לפעול עוד, וע"כ החובה לפעול בהקדם לצמצום התפשטות המגיפה כהוראות הרופאים".

בדבריו הכריע באשר לישיבות והחיידרים שסגרו את שעריהם: "הישיבות והתתי"ם שהוכרחו לסגור את שעריהם, ייאספו לעת עתה בחבורות קטנות בבתים תוך שמירה על כללי הניקיון, ועל הרחקה האחד מחבירו, ודור דור גם בשעה שהיה סכנת מיתה ממש לא פסקו ללמוד תורה, ונתפלל ונקווה לה' שלא יחמיר המצב כאן בארץ הקודש עד שאפילו לתפילה בציבור לא נוכל להתאסף, ונחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה עד ה'".

בהמשך דבריו קורא מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א לערוך פדיון נפש כל אחד לפי יכולתו: "ראוי לסדר פדיון נפש לכל אחד ואחד, והעשיר יתן כפי עשרו ועכ"פ לא יפחות מאלף שקלים, ובעל הבית לא יפחות מחמישים, והמתפרנס מהציבור יתן כפי יכולתו, ויאמר "הרי זה פדיון לנפשי", וכל אחד ידע שהתיקון הוא צורך ממש.

את דבריו חתם מרן פוסק הדור הגר"מ שטרנבוך שליט"א כי העיקר בעת הזאת לעורר ולהתעורר לתשובה בעקבות היפוך סדרי העולם: "בעולם הזה שכולו הסתר, הקב"ה מלביש רצונו ודרישותיו מאתנו על ידי הנהגתו בעולמו, וא"כ בוודאי יש לנו לראות בכל המגיפה והיפוך סדרי עולם שבאו על ידה כהתראה מהקב"ה לעמו, וחובתינו לערוך חשבון הנפש ועל כל אחד לפשפש במעשיו הן בבין אדם למקום והן בבין אדם לחבירו, וכל רב בישראל יעורר את בני קהילתו לפי מצבם, ובזה נזכה להמתיק הדינים ולבטל המגיפה.

"יש להוסיף בכל יום זמן ללימוד התורה, ולהתחזק באמירת מאה ברכות בכוונה שהוא מסוגל לבטל מגיפה, ובמיוחד בשבת קודש יש להיזהר ולהשלים חשבון מאה ברכות ע"י אכילת מיני פירות ומגדים (וכמבואר בגמ' מנחות מ"ג:), וכן יש להיזהר בכבודם של תלמידי חכמים, וחז"ל הזהירו (שבת קי"ט ע"ב) שהמבזה תלמידי חכמים אין רפואה למכתו, ועלול להיענש במחלה כעין זו שאין לה רפואה, ומידה טובה מרובה לנזהר בזה שממשיך על עצמו זכות להיות מוגן שהמחלה לא תפגע בו או בצאצאיו.

"בזכות לימוד התורה והתשובה והצדקה והחסד נראה נפלאות, ומן השמים ירחמו עלינו להסיר מעלינו כל נגע ומחלה, והקב"ה יחיש גאולתינו בביאת משיח צדקינו במהרה ובקרוב.

Corona Concerns

BS"D

Corona Concerns

23 Adar 5780 °°  Mar. 19, '20

By Binyomin Feinberg,

FeinbergBinyomin@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~

To check for updates, on first view of this article, as well as throughout the week,  please visit the Adar Update link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z2nuHMNh-CQ3Te2MdV04dmFfkkmQ0TLNKElS9JT6yJc/edit?usp=sharing
~~~~~

Corona Concerns:

Due to the ongoing Corona outbreak, we apologize for not being able to report as much news as we'd like, in a timely fashion. Please check our Update link occasionally.

A few brief points here are in order, as we rush against deadlines:


1. We encourage everyone to employ all due caution to avoid contracting or spreading Corona, or spreading misinformation about it.  The Pri Megadim on Hilchos Shabbos discusses the importance of avoiding subjecting others to danger, stating that we were only redeemed from Egypt on the condition that future generations would be vigilant in shunning endangering the lives of others.

2.  Bitachon, Reliance on G-d, is absolutely essential, all the more so now, as we see Mankind has lost control. However, Reliance on G-d is not to be used as an excuse to be lax in regard to endangering others.

3. Regarding Italy, Reuters reports:

"The northern region of Lombardy, on the frontline of the battle against the respiratory pandemic, asked recently retired health workers on Wednesday to return to work and help colleagues overwhelmed by the crisis. “I make a heartfelt appeal to all the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who have retired in the last two years...to help us in this emergency,” regional Governor Attilio Fontana told a news conference.

The national death toll surged by 475 over the past 24 hours, the largest increase in numerical terms since the outbreak first came to light on Feb. 21. The total number of confirmed cases grew by 4,207 to 35,713...."

This could be what America will  look like soon, G-d forbid.

4.  Any establishment that hosts large gatherings (e.g. weddings) in violation of public health restrictions must be boycotted immediately.

5.  Details of specific Corona victims being properly publicized to isolated holdout skeptics may alleviate their lethal recklessness.

6. While Israel has been heading towards lockdown lately, the Draft Office is continuing to draft boys and girls into the Army. A massive gathering was witnessed this Tuesday morning, in Tel HaShomer, on a Yom Chiyul (draft day). Boys, girls, families, all mingling. Busses with recruits, packed. This - while Corona is by no means anywhere near under control, and has infected those within the IDF as well.

Apparently, those being required to lay down their very lives to protect fellow Jews - from external enemies who wish to wipe us out - don't deserve  protection against Corona. The Epidemic is reason for openly homosexual Justice Minister Amir Ohana to delay the trial of Netanyahu, but not reason to delay drafting boys and girls into the Army...

We hope to have updates throughout the week, time permitting.

8.  Lastly, we hear lalot of irresponsible talk lately. One key point is in order: Ge'ulah is no entitlement. It requires sincere repentance.

ההוראה הדרמטית בקרלין: אין להתפלל - גם לא בחדרי מדרגות

https://www.bhol.co.il/news/1089222

ראה דרמטית בחצר קרלין סטולין: בשם האדמו"ר - כל בתי הכנסת של החסידות סגורים לחלוטין בשבת • יש להתפלל ביחידות בבית, אין ללכת לתפילות בבתי כנסת אחרים ולא לטבילה במקווה

 

As virus spreads, US officials struggle to halt ultra-Orthodox gatherings

https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-virus-spreads-us-officials-struggle-to-halt-ultra-orthodox-gatherings/

 Despite strenuous warnings from health officials and federal authorities to avoid large gatherings amid the coronavirus outbreak, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews in New York have continued to congregate in large groups, risking the rapid spread of the new coronavirus. More than 100 people have recently tested positive for COVID-19 in Borough Park and Williamsburg — two Brooklyn neighborhoods with large ultra-Orthodox populations.

Trump peddles unsubstantiated hope in dark times

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/20/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-false-hope/index.html

 To fight the coronavirus, President Donald Trump is adopting the audacity of false hope.

For the past two days, Trump has said he is dispensing "game changer" breakthroughs on treatments and a wartime-style effort to mass produce medical supplies that appear as rays of light amid America's darkening battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

His eagerness for remedies no doubt reflects a sincere desire to deliver Americans from the nightmare of lockdowns, fear for loved ones and atmosphere of national trauma.

But it is also becoming clear that the President's rhetoric is part of an emerging political strategy. He can't hold the campaign rallies that are his political lifeblood any more -- so he's just moved them into the White House briefing room.