BALTIMORE — The Maryland National Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are getting a field hospital up and running at the Baltimore Convention Center. There will be 250 beds to treat coronavirus patients. Gov. Larry Hogan said, so far, the state is weeks ahead of schedule in the hospital surge plan. "This is the National Guard doing what we do best. Whether it's a federal emergency, a natural disaster or serving overseas, we're here doing what we do best. Whether it's fighting or planning, right now, we're fighting covid, that's our adversary. We plan to fight and win," Maryland Army National Guard commander Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead said. Besides what's happening at the Baltimore Convention Center, the neighboring Hilton hote...
Baltimore City has recorded its first two COVID-19-related deaths.  In a statement Saturday, Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young said that two individuals had died, a woman in her 60s and another woman in her 80s. “It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I report the first two deaths linked to the COVID-19 virus,” Mayor Young said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families during this difficult time. It is vital that we continue to protect each other and vigilantly practice social distancing to safeguard our community.” The statement went on to remind residents that gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited and that residents are to stay home to help limit contact and to slow the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in Balt...
President Trump on Saturday said he is considering imposing an enforceable quarantine on New York, parts of New Jersey and parts of Connecticut as part of the efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. “Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it’s a hotspot — New York, New Jersey, maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined,” he said outside the White House. “I’m thinking about that right now. We might not have to do it but there’s a possibility that sometime today we’ll do a quarantine — short term, two weeks for New York, probably New Jersey and certain parts of Connecticut.” He said that if such a move happened, it would be primarily a re...
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States reached 100,040 on Friday, the highest number in the world, according to a Reuters tally. The tally also showed that at least 1,546 have died of the illness across the United States, with the largest numbers so far in New York and Washington state. Italy is second with 86,498 cases and China is third with 81,340 confirmed cases, according to the tally. The US on Thursday officially became the country with the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. An all-time high of 3.3 million people filed for unemployment in the US last week, up from the previous high of 695,000 jobless claims. The spread of the novel coronavirus has forced businesses around the country to shut down and lay off perso...
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was blasted on social media Friday for her swipe against President Trump amid the growing coronavirus outbreak within the U.S. Since the availability of testing kits has broadened in recent days, the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has skyrocketed. On Thursday, the U.S. has reportedly outpaced both China and Italy with more than 97,000 reported cases. Clinton took the latest developments as an opportunity to knock her former 2016 rival on Twitter. "He did promise 'America First,'" Clinton wrote, referring to one of the president's oft-repeated campaign slogans. Her tweet was slammed by critics across Twitter. "Delete your account. This isn’t the time. This can’t be the new normal, ...
After nearly a year of political paralysis, Israel is finally on its way towards a national unity government as the nation battles against the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. Benny Gantz, who has stood as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief rival through three consecutive election cycles, announced that his party faction would join Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition to form a new government. According to the terms of the agreement, Netanyahu will serve as prime minister for 18 months before handing the premiership as part of a rotation to Gantz, who will serve under Netanyahu as deputy prime minister and defense minister for the first 18 months, and then become prime minister in September 2021. Gantz’s dramatic move jolted Israel’s political system...
With Spain reporting its deadliest day yet of the outbreak, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez convened an emergency Cabinet meeting to try to chart a way out of the crisis rapidly engulfing his nation. Spain’s Health Ministry on Friday reported another 769 deaths, lifting the total number of fatalities to 4,858. Confirmed cases climbed to 64,059, with Spaniards near the end of a second week of a state of emergency set to last at least until April 11. With the country on almost complete lockdown, the government is counting on limited social interactions helping contain the spread of the virus, which has already killed more people there than in China where the pandemic originated. Spain is grappling with one of Europe’s worst outbreaks alongside Italy. The head of the World Health ...
Israel will deploy armed troops to support police on street patrols in enforcing a lockdown against the coronavirus epidemic, the military said on Friday. About 500 troops will join police squads from Sunday to help “in patrolling, isolating and securing certain areas, blocking routes and additional similar assignments,” the military said in a statement. Israel has reported more than 3,000 infections and 10 deaths from the illness. This week, authorities tightened a partial lockdown, requiring citizens to stay within 100 meters of home and setting sanctions for defying rules. Israelis have been told to stay home where possible, schools have been shut and many businesses have closed, prompting more than 500,000 layoffs. Police have set up roadblocks to enforce curbs on movem...
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling on President Donald Trump to approve the construction of 4,000 additional hospital beds across the city. The governor said he wants to build temporary hospitals ahead of the apex of Covid-19 patients crushing the hospitals, expected to take place within three weeks. “I want to have one for each borough,” Cuomo said at Friday’s press conference at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The state is looking at the New York Expo Center in the Bronx, the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, the Port Authority-owned Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and the College of Staten Island to set up temporary hospitals similar to the one set up at the Javits Center. Read more at POLITICO.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic rescue package into law Friday, after swift and near-unanimous action by Congress this week to support businesses, rush resources to overburdened health care providers and help struggling families during the deepening coronavirus epidemic. Acting with unity and resolve unseen since the 9/11 attacks, Washington moved urgently to stem an economic free fall caused by widespread restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus that have shuttered schools, closed businesses and brought American life in many places to a virtual standstill. “This will deliver urgently needed relief,” Trump said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office, flanked only by Republican lawmakers. He thanked memb...
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 27, 2020 -  Unless we are worthy of Moshiach before this coming Pesach, it looks like most of us will be spending our Yom Tov with those currently residing in our own household.  With the combined authority of Das Torah, government and physicians, the ban on “mishing” this Pesach has the force of “Lo Saamod al Dam Rayecha,”  “you shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.”  Indeed, this is one of those instances where the deed coincides directly with the simple meaning of the verse. Merely “standing by” and breathing droplets of infected air can, Heaven forfend, make an unwitting carrier into the Angel of Death.  Both Civil Authorities and Religious Leadership are enjoining us to stay awa...
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo acknowledged Friday the state did have a stockpile of unused ventilators, despite his complaints the federal government was not sending enough. Cuomo responded to a comment from President Donald Trump on Twitter that there were thousands of ventilators in New York not being used. “Yes, they’re in a stockpile because that’s where they are supposed to be, because we don’t need them yet,” Cuomo said. “We need them for the apex, the apex isn’t here, so we’re gathering them in a stockpile.” Cuomo’s comments demonstrate there is not an immediate shortage in ventilators in the city, despite alarming reports. “We don’t need them today, because we’re not at capacity today, that...
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 27, 2020 - The following article and expanded list of times for this Shabbos was prepared by Rabbi Dovid Heber for his kehila, Khal Ahavas Yisroel Tzemach Tzemach. The article expands on some of the issues addressed in last weeks article. (To print this chart, click on the graphic below.) As we begin the second Shabbos with shuls closed and no minyanim due to COVID-19/coronavirus, we continue to be mechazek ourselves in the area of tefilla on behalf our families, community, and the entire globe which has been effected by this illnees r”l. Our tefillos are critical, so we must make every effort to daven with kavanah.  In general, one should daven in a quiet, designated place (makom kovua applies even at home), with shoes and proper attire, as is appropriat...
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 27, 2020 -  Rabbi Menachem Goldberger - Consideration - 7 Minutes with Rabbi Menachem GoldbergerClick arrow below to listen
The House on Friday passed a historic $2 trillion coronavirus relief package, overcoming 11th-hour hurdles erected by a GOP lawmaker that sent furious lawmakers across the country racing back to Washington to move the emergency legislation to President Trump's desk. The enormous package, approved by the Senate late Wednesday night, provides hundreds of billions of dollars for the industries, small businesses, unemployed workers and health care providers hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated economies around the world. House Democratic leaders were able to move the package by voice vote, a rarely used procedure allowing a few members to air their objections without forcing the entire chamber to reconvene. But it didn't happen without a good dose of l...
WhatsApp Video 2020-03-27 at 122235 PM from BaltimoreJewishLife.com on Vimeo.
BJL & the entire community wish Mazel Tov to this week’s Bar Mitzvah boys (Parshas Vayikra): Shlomo Zalman Brody, Shmuel Dovid Eichorn, Moishy Sachs and Yisroel Moshe Shafranovich. Baltimore, MD - Mar. 26, 2020 - These heilige boys could not receive an aliya or lain for a minyan this week. They could not take part in the bo bayom seuda and/or Shabbos celebration that entailed months of preparation and effort. They could not give the long awaited pshetel that they worked so hard to perfect or even lain their parshios and haftarahs in shul after months of practice. These plans had to be curtailed but that didn’t stop some of the boys whose bar mitzvahs fell out over the past two weeks from thinking up some very innovative ways to celebrate their bar mitzvah day. One local f...
Parshas Vayikra / Baltimore Zmanim / Eruv is UP! Baltimore, MD – Mar. 27, 2020 Parshas:  Vayikra Today:    2 Nisan       Chatzos today: 1:12 PM Hadlakas Nairos Shabbos: 7:08 PM Shkiah:                 7:26:15 PM Tzais HaKochavim:  8:17 PM   Kiddush Levanah: Friday, Mar. 27 @3:53 AM – Tuesday, Apr. 7 @10:15 PM
Lekovod the members of our choshuv tzibbur and the wider community, Every week on Shabbos Kadoshesh we meet in shul to daven together and listen to divrei hisorerus.  Unfortunately, it seems that we will unable to daven be’tzibbur this Shabbos.  However, we can still share divrei Torah.  The attachment contains some thoughts about the parshas ha’shavua and the current situation.  If you can’t come to the speech, the speech can to come to you!  I encourage you print this out and read it before or on Shabbos and share it with your families.                     ...
MIAMI (VINnews) —Eli Beer, the head of United Hatzalah is hospitalized in serious condition in Miami suffering from coronavirus. His family gave the following update on Eli’s condition: “As you may be aware, Eli was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the end of last week. He was put on a ventilator last Friday evening. Eli is showing signs of improvement. His vital signs continue to get stronger and the level of fluid in his lungs is decreasing. If Eli continues to improve they will start the process of waking him slowly in the coming days. We should continue our prayers for Eli’s full recovery. Thank you to everyone for their concern, prayers, messages and donations in Eli’s honor.” Please say Tehilim for Eliezer Yehudah Ben Chaya
More articles