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March 26, 2020 at 8:28 am
"This event is a tsunami that could not have been prepared for," Moshe Bar Siman Tov said. He estimated that within a week, the country will have about 200 severely ill patients.
Israel was aware of the potential for a coronavirus crisis as early as January 20 but did not increase the number of respirators or emergency room beds to prepare for the outbreak, Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov admitted on Thursday, shortly before three more Israelis died. In total, eight Israelis have died from the virus. At the first meeting of the Knesset Coronavirus Committee, members and the director-general reviewed a report prepared by the Knesset Research and Information Center that showed for the first time that there are only 1,437 available respirators in Israel and only 758...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:24 am
President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin met yesterday, Wednesday 25 March / 29 Adar, with the Ambassdor of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Israel, Khaled Azmi, marking the 41st anniversary of the Israel-Egypt Peace treaty, which falls tomorrow, and in light of the coronavirus which is affecting the region
“Tomorrow, we mark 41 years since the signing of the historic peace treaty between our countries, an agreement that is a central component of regional stability as a whole,” said the president, adding that his door is always open for discussions with President a-Sisi.
The president noted that the coronavirus makes no distinctions for national borders, and that international cooperation is vital in fighting it. He stressed that Israel is open to any initiative for joint...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:22 am
Israel was recently put under an almost complete lockdown with very few people being allowed out of their homes. Among those who are allowed to leave their homes are first responders who are en route to assist someone in the event of a medical emergency. Due to the new rules, there have been fewer group incidents but individual emergencies still occur on a regular basis.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yosef Isaac continues his amazing work with his ambucycle. On Tuesday, just before the lockdown began, Yosef was busy at work when his United Hatzalah radio suddenly buzzed, alerting him to an accident at a local construction site. The volunteer quickly hopped aboard his ambucycle and rushed to the given location, arriving a mere 90 seconds later. Site workers waved the ambucycle medic ...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:21 am
Report presented in Knesset reveals there are 2,173 ventilators in Israel, of which one-third are in use and 28 are out of order.
A new report from the Knesset Research and Information Center prepared at the request of Knesset Coronavirus Committee Chairman MK Ofer Shelah reveals that in Israel, there are currently only 1,437 available ventilators.
Respirators and ventilators are two types of devices used in different circumstances to facilitate breathing. While ventilators perform the act of respiration mechanically, respirators do not engage in respiration on their own, but only improve the quality of air by removing contaminants. Respirators facilitate respiration either by purifying air or by providing an air source, whereas a ventilators are used to move breathable air in and out ...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:19 am
"Such acts potentially could implicate the Nation's terrorism-related statutes," DOJ memo posits.
A DOJ memo recommends those who intentionally try to spread coronavirus be tried for terrorism.
The memo bearing Tuesday’s date came after terror charges were announced against a New Jersey man who allegedly coughed on a grocery store employee and told her that he had coronavirus.
"Because coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of a 'biological agent,'" Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen explained in the memo, "such acts potentially could implicate the Nation's terrorism-related statutes."
"Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated.”
The recommendation was just one in a series offered to prose...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:13 am
Annapolis, Md. — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan asked Wednesday for a presidential disaster declaration for the state to provide funding for state and local governments amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Maryland Day, the state’s 386th birthday, Hogan recapped a timeline of the coronavirus pandemic in Maryland and expressed condolence for the four Marylanders who have died from the virus.
As of Wednesday morning, Maryland has 423 cases of the coronavirus in 22 of 24 jurisdictions.
"The higher numbers means we are testing more people. It doesn’t mean the percentages are going up," Hogan said. "The reality is this crisis is really just beginning."
Hogan said the first state employee, University of Maryland-Baltimore County research professor Dr. Maurice Berger,...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:06 am
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 26, 2020 - Amid the growing concern in Maryland and the world surrounding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Baltimore Gas and Electric is reminding customers to be on alert for potential scams targeting utility customers.
While scams are said to occur throughout the year, BGE said it has seen an increase in scam reports over the past week with scammers attempting to use the health crisis to trick utility customers.
The company said it has received reports that scammers are offering cash or credit incentives from BGE in order to obtain a customer’s personal or financial information.
BGE said there are a number of programs in place to help customers through temporary or extended financial hardship.
BGE is also suspending service disconnections ...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:04 am
Superintendent Darryl Williams says plans are in the works for the extended closure of Baltimore County Public Schools.
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 26, 2020 - Despite schools being closed due to the new coronavirus, students in Baltimore County will continue learning. Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Darryl Williams reported staff would be finalizing plans starting over the next week to ensure all students have access to materials and resources.
"Beginning April 6, 2020, there will be new learning available for students," Williams said in a statement Wednesday night. His comments came hours after the state superintendent of schools announced schools would be closed at least through April 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Starting tomorrow and the days following, our cent...
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March 26, 2020 at 8:02 am
The Israel Association of Community Centers and Lev Echad have partnered with United Hatzalah of Israel and launched a new national dispatch center managing 30,000 volunteers who will provide assistance to humanitarian emergencies across Israel. The new partnership has given birth to the largest humanitarian aid group currently operating in Israel.
The mission of the new dispatch center and resulting conglomerate, which launched on Wednesday evening, will be to send volunteers to help the elderly, people with disabilities, or those stuck in home isolation as quickly as possible. The initiative, which is being dubbed, “1221 Assistance for All”, will be using technology developed by United Hatzalah to locate the closest volunteers based on the GPS on their phones and alert...
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March 26, 2020 at 12:18 am
By a vote of 96-0, Senate passed a massive $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus compromise package just before midnight on Wednesday, ending days of deadlock and sending the bill to the House of Representatives -- where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said there will soon be a "good debate on the floor" over the historic measure to bring relief to individuals, small businesses, and larger corporations.
The 880-page legislation is the largest economic relief bill in U.S. history. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., appeared somber and exhausted as he announced the vote — and he released senators from Washington until April 20, though he promised to recall them if needed.
The unanimous vote came despite misgivings on both sides about whether i...
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March 26, 2020 at 12:17 am
U.S. deaths from the coronavirus pandemic topped 1,000 on Wednesday night as all 50 states have reported confirmed cases of the disease.
New York City is currently the U.S. epicenter of the virus, with over 20,000 cases and 280 deaths. Over a quarter of all deaths in the country have occurred in the city.
President Trump implored Congress to move on critical coronavirus aid without further delay. Senate leaders were trying to overcome late objections to a $2 trillion economic rescue package to ease the financial pain of the pandemic. Read more at FOX News
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March 25, 2020 at 10:57 pm
The number of unemployed in Israel has reached 600,000, the Israeli Employment Service announced Tuesday, with thousands losing their jobs as businesses close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Israeli news site Walla reported that the unemployment rate now stood at 18.6% and the Employment Service estimated that there would be one million unemployed by the end of the Pesach in mid-April.
The number of those registering as unemployed is skyrocketing, with 127,464 signing up on last Thursday, 67,115 on Friday and 54,305 on Sunday.
Rami Garor — CEO of the Employment Service — said, “There was another slowdown in new registrants yesterday. However, we estimate that by Passover we will reach about one million new job-seekers due to the corona crisis.”
“This ...
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March 25, 2020 at 10:57 pm
Israel’s military is preparing for a potential total shutdown of the country due to the coronavirus pandemic and is planning to mobilize eight battalions to aid authorities in enforcing it.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported that these battalions would work with and supplement civilian police forces, carry no weapons, and have no judicial authorities over civilians.
The IDF is also readying for a complete closure of the West Bank to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus into Israel.
At the same time, thousands of troops would be used to provide food and medicine to at-risk populations — particularly the sick and elderly.
The IDF Home Front Command would be tasked with aiding Israelis returning from abroad. They would be isolated in hotels, according to the guidelines o...
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March 25, 2020 at 10:37 pm
Rosh Chodesh Nisan, 5780
March 25, 2020
Dear Parents,
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives, sadly it is clear that our schools must remain closed.
You may have heard that Governor Hogan announced that Maryland public schools will remain closed until at least April 24 (first day of Rosh Chodesh Iyar). Expert medical advice is that keeping schools closed is a critical and effective step in stopping the spread of this virus. Accordingly, our schools will remain closed as long as medically indicated. However, we do not know how long that will be. As of now, our schools will remain closed until after Pesach and, as this is a constantly changing landscape, we will reassess the situation and communicate with you as medical advice warrants. The l...
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March 25, 2020 at 10:33 pm
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday evening that if there is no decline in the number of new coronavirus cases in the next few days, there will be no choice but to impose a complete closure on the civilian population in Israel.
“Citizens of Israel, you know the following phrase: ‘He who saves one life, it is as if he saved an entire world.’ With the coronavirus it has a different meaning. ‘He who infects one person, it is as if he infected the entire world,'” Netanyahu said.
“The steps we have taken here in Israel are taking place all over the world, but it is not enough, for the number of patients doubles every two to three days. In two weeks we may find ourselves with thousands of patients, many of whom will be at risk of death. So,...
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March 25, 2020 at 10:33 pm
The shutdown of Israel’s economy due to the coronavirus pandemic will come at a cost of up to NIS 130 billion ($36 billion), which is 10 percent of the nation’s GDP, Israel’s Finance Ministry warned on Tuesday.
Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron said that Israel would spend NIS 90 billion ($25 billion) to battle the pandemic “in a short-term scenario,” and NIS 130 billion “in a longer-term scenario.”
“Without health, there is no economy, but without an economy, there will be no health,” he added.
Yaron went on to explain that the extent of the economic blow would depend on government policy.
“I am in daily contact with the prime minister. Right now, the ball is in the Knesset’s hands, and I am calling on the Knesset memb...
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March 25, 2020 at 10:30 pm
An investor in Wyndham Hotel stock has sued Sen. Richard Burr in federal court, alleging the North Carolina Republican used inside information he learned as chairman of the Senate’s intelligence committee — and which other investors could not have known — to sell off his shares before they plummeted in value amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Senator Burr owed a duty to Congress, the United States government, and citizens of the United States, including Plaintiff, not to use material nonpublic information that he learned by virtue of his duties as a United States Senator in connection with the sale or purchase of any security,” the lawsuit says. “Senator Burr breached that duty by selling stock, including Wyndham stock, based on that material nonpublic inf...
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March 25, 2020 at 10:29 pm
President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is up to 49%, according to the latest Gallup poll, a tie for his highest on record, likely due to a bump from his handing of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump’s overall approval rating is up five points from 44% earlier in March and ties his record of 49% in the Gallup poll in late January and early February.
The president’s approval from independents and Democrats has increased as well, 8 points and 6 points repectively, also tying for the highest ever at 43% for indepedents and 13% for Democrats. His approval among fellow Republicans is in the high 90s, but is not at the record 94% it was in late January, according to Gallup.
Read more at NEWSMAX.
