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April 6, 2020 at 8:00 pm
A New York doctor hopes to help his elderly COVID-19 patients with a treatment plan inspired by the success tentatively being reported with hydroxychloroquine — and which he says shows promising results.
Dr. Mohammud Alam, an infectious disease specialist affiliated with Plainview Hospital, said 81 percent of infected covid patients he treated at three Long Island nursing homes recovered from the contagion.
“In this crisis, I realized I had to do something,” Alam said. ”I realized if this was my dad, what would I do? And I would do anything I could to help.”
Alam said he decided he could not apply the touted combination of the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine and antibiotic azithromycin because the side effects could b...
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April 6, 2020 at 6:45 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Joe Biden spoke over the phone Monday afternoon about the coronavirus outbreak, according to two people familiar with the call.
The conversation was the culmination of a dayslong effort by aides to get the two on the phone, after White House adviser Kellyanne Conway called on the former vice president to “offer some support” to Trump. Biden, the prospective Democratic presidential nominee, has in recent weeks released a series of suggestions and proposals for responding to the pandemic and has criticized the Trump administration for acting too slowly to stem the virus’ spread.
The two people familiar with the call spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.
Biden said la...
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April 6, 2020 at 6:19 pm
6:18 PM - Apr. 6, 2020 - Due to technical difficulties we are canceling for tonight. We will reschedule this teleconference as needed. All those that sent in questions will be contacted by one of the doctors. You may continue to send in questions regarding Covid-19 and we will try to have our local doctors get the answers to you as soon as possibleBaltimore, MD - April 6, 2020 - Tonight at 8 PM - Bikur Cholim of Baltimore will be hosting a third conference call to answer the pressing questions that the community continues to grapple with. The call will be featuring Dr. Dov Frankel, Dr. Dan Grove, Dr. Julian Jakobovits, Dr. Johnathan Ringo, Dr. Ronnie Samet and Dr. Netanel Schwob.
Please start submitting your questions to info@baltimorebikurcholim.org a...
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April 6, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Chief Rabbinate is willing to issue special edict for observant Jews to shave if Health Ministry deems it necessary to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Israelis who have beards for religious reasons will get the option of custom-made face masks to protect them from the coronavirus rather than being told to shave, a government official said on Monday.
As part of measures to combat the epidemic, Israeli authorities last week told people to cover their mouths and noses in public.
Many of the country's Jews and Muslims, and some Christian clergymen, wear beards as a mark of faith, and the order raised questions as to how facial hair would be accommodated.
Health Ministry Deputy Director Itamar Grotto said masks would be adapted accordingly.
"We are creating an industrial certificati...
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April 6, 2020 at 4:41 pm
Four years ago, Hershy Weinberger, a new composer hit the scene. He started by sending a song to Naftali Schnitzler. Naftali and Hershey knew each other from years earlier and this connection started an incredible journey of music. When Hershy met Shmueli Ungar for the first time, Naftali introduced him as the guy who “composed that song I sent you last year.” It was a song that almost ended up on Shmueli Ungar’s debut album. As we find ourselves in a world filled with questions. Shmueli approached Hershey and Naftali and reminded them of this song that had been sitting on the shelf for too long. Every thing in this world has it’s time and place. Shmueli reminded them, the time for this song was now!We will be entering Pesach very soon, when after ...
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April 6, 2020 at 4:21 pm
Baltimore, MD – Apr. 6, 2020 - It is with sadness that BaltimoreJewishLife.com informs the community of the petirah of Yisrael Toibman, z’l, father of Hersh Toibman
Hersh will be sitting shiva until 1:00 PM Wed, Apr. 8 (Erev Yom Tov) but due to social distancing he will not be accepting visitors. You may contact him via email at hersheltoibman@gmail.com
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach...
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April 6, 2020 at 4:17 pm
BNEI BRAK (VINnews) — The city of Bnei Brak, which has the highest proportion of Coronavirus patients in Israel, has been cordoned off from the rest of the Greater Tel Aviv area and declared a “restricted zone”, with police patrolling the exits to the town and nobody allowed to leave or enter except for essential needs. Apparently essential needs do not include purchasing or bringing Matzos from outside the city, even when one’s Chaburah (group baking matzos) was in another town.
MK Yisrael Eichler called on the government to ease the siege on Bnei Brak and said that if the required food and assistance does not arrive there will be a need for “food convoys” to break the siege and provide the necessary requirements.
A senior officer in Home Comman...
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April 6, 2020 at 4:13 pm
Agudath Israel of America commends the Trump Administration and Congress for their determined and tireless efforts to bring relief to the American people from the manifold ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are particularly grateful that they have worked to incorporate within the CARES Act, and subsequent regulation and guidance, provisions that include faith-based institutions as beneficiaries of the vital programs the federal government will implement to address the severe economic fallout the nation is expected to experience.
Our Washington Office, headed by Rabbi Abba Cohen, Vice President for Government Affairs, has worked closely and cooperatively with White House and federal agency officials, Congressional leaders, and other faith-based nonprofits. Together, they have sought to e...
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April 6, 2020 at 4:11 pm
U.S. equity markets soared Monday on chatter that a new round of fiscal stimulus could come by mid-May and could be valued around $1.5 trillion, as reported by FOX Business' Charlie Gasparino.
Also fueling the buying was the latest COVID-19 cases which showed signs of abating in the hardest-hit areas.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1,627 points or 7.7 percent, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were higher by 7 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively.
The number of new cases over the weekend in New York City, the U.S.’s epicenter for the virus, rose by 30.4 percent versus last week, down from a 46.1 percent jump the week prior.
As on Monday afternoon, the number of fatalities was effectively flat for the past two days.
President ...
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April 6, 2020 at 4:01 pm
Allstate and American Family Insurance have begun discounting car insurance premiums since many drivers aren’t using their cars as much due to stay-at-home policies aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Allstate said most customers can expect a 15 percent refund in April and May, along with holders of Esurance and Encompass policies, while American Family Insurance is returning $50 per vehicle.
“It is real dollars we expected to pay out this year and no longer have to pay out, American Family COO Telisa Yancy told the Wall Street Journal. “We are sharing it back right now when our customers probably most need it.”
According to the journal, American Family customers drove 40 percent fewer miles in the last three weeks of March, resul...
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April 6, 2020 at 3:43 pm
There are two major concepts which form the driving force of the Hagaddah and the Seder in general. First, is the Chiyuv Sipur Yitzias Mitraim, and the second is that one must feel as if he himself is being taken out of Mitzraim on the night of Pesach, as discussed more fully in the Hagaddah.
With these two concepts being the principal themes, how then does the final part of the Seder, Nirtzah, fit into this framework? These intriguing, yet seemingly unrelated songs, raise a significant question as to exactly what role they play in the Seder and by extension, the Yom Tov of Pesach.
On a simplistic level one could answer their function is similar to that of the Afikoman and Mah Nishtana - to heighten the interest and enjoyment of the Seder for the children.&...
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April 6, 2020 at 3:36 pm
Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz is ready to accept a limited annexation of territory in Yehuda and Shomron, possibly bringing a unity agreement between Gantz and incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu closer to reality, according to Israeli media reports.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported on Saturday night that Gantz may be willing to accept the annexation of settlement blocs west of Israel’s security barrier as a part of a peace initiative in full coordination with the Defense Ministry, which he will lead under a unity agreement. Such efforts would begin only after the coronavirus threat has ended, according to the report.
Disagreements about annexation have been one of the central sticking points between the two parties during negotiations, with Gantz opposi...
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April 6, 2020 at 3:36 pm
Closure to last from 4 pm tomorrow until 7 AM Friday.
Citizens will not be allowed to leave their homes on Seder night.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced a general closure on all Israeli cities from 4 PM tomorrow tomorrow until Friday banning travel between cities. The lockdown is in response to concerns that the coronavirus may spread further over the Passover holiday.
"The next days will determine the direction - progress or retreat and for many people - life or death," Netanyahu said at the start of his remarks.
"Anyone who thinks that the coronavirus crisis can end with a bang and then we'll be done is badly mistaken. When it comes to the health and life of Israeli citizens, there must be no shortcuts. We saw what happened a month ago on the Purim holiday, when the...
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April 6, 2020 at 3:31 pm
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted to intensive care with coronavirus symptoms after this condition worsened over Monday afternoon.
A spokesperson for No.10 said: “Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of coronavirus.
“Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.
“The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary.
“The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication.&rdq...
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April 6, 2020 at 3:10 pm
Israeli soldiers are comforting Jews in mourning, both in Israel and the Diaspora, by saying the obligatory and commemorative “Kaddish” prayer on their behalf for recently deceased family members. The soldiers, all of whom serve in the Netzach Yehuda unit, have taken this initiative in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Each of the soldiers are receiving specific names of those who have recently passed away and will be saying the kaddish prayer in their merit and in perhaps the last remaining minyan (formal quorum of prayer that includes at least 10 men) currently taking place in the entire world. For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, Israeli soldiers are staying at their respective bases of service without leave for over 30 days at a time. The soldiers therefore, curren...
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April 6, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says the U.S. is “struggling” to get the spread of coronavirus under control.
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April 6, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Baltimore, MD – Apr. 5, 2020 - It is with sadness that BaltimoreJewishLife.com informs the community of the petirah of Rabbi Yitzchak Aranoff, z’l.
Shiva calling: 347.764.6106 through Erev Yom Tov, Wed, Apr. 8 at Noon
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach...
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April 6, 2020 at 2:42 pm
Officially, just over 9,600 people have died from coronavirus-related health problems inside the United States. However, The New York Times has spoken to a number of experts who say that figure is a significant underestimate. Hospital officials, doctors, public-health experts, and medical examiners reportedly told the newspaper that they doubt the official count. They say limited resources and inconsistent decision-making from one state or county to the next have driven down the official figure.
In some rural areas, coroners say they don’t have the tests they need to detect COVID-19, and experts say some deaths early on in the crisis were likely misidentified as influenza or only described as pneumonia. “We definitely think there are deaths that we have not accounted...
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April 6, 2020 at 2:38 pm
New York City will soon need to face the “gruesome reality” of temporary burials, and they could take place in trenches dug in city parks, NYC Council Health Committee chair Mark Levine said in a tweet this morning, NBC News reports.
Due to the number of dead bodies increasing on a daily basis due to COVID-19, the freezers at OCME facilities in Manhattan and Brooklyn will soon be full, Levine said.
This means that the city could have to turn to temporary internment in city parks, Levine said. “Trenches will be dug for 10 caskets in a line. It will be done in a dignified, orderly — and temporary — manner. But it will be tough for NYers to take,” he wrote.
Soon after — as the tweet gained attention — the chair added that trenches i...
