Israel began implementing the first steps in emerging from its four-week nationwide lockdown on Sunday, including the reopening of the Kosel plaza for a restricted amount of mispallelim in capsules. During the lockdown, only those who reside within a kilometer of the Kosel were allowed to daven there, including on Chol Hamoed Sukkos, when tens of thousands usually are “oleh l’regel” throughout the Yom Tov. Birchas Kohanim took place with only about 20 participants. Early Sunday morning, the Gabaiim of Neitz minyanim at the Kosel, who had to daven elsewhere for the past month, showed their joy at being able to resume their regular davening at the Makom HaMikdash. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Not one eye remained dry at a moving scene that took place in the plaza of Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon, when a chuppah was held under the window of the coronavirus ward, where the chassan’s father has been hospitalized in serious condition since September. The chassan’s father was able to watch the chuppah taking place from his bed and even held a gartel from the window of his hospital room in the coronavirus ward on the fifth floor to “dance” the customary mitzvah tantz with the kallah. The families of the chassan and kallah are Gerrer chassidim from the cities of Arad and Chatzor and the actual wedding (after the chuppah) took place in Chatzor.

Israel’s Health Ministry confirmed 395 new coronavirus cases on Sunday morning in the previous 24 hours, the lowest daily tally in months. Just a few short weeks ago, the daily tally of cases averaged about 8,000. The positivity rate is also at a record low of 2.8%, down from 15% several weeks ago. There are currently 33,727 active virus cases, with 673 seriously ill patients, of whom 237 are ventilated. The death toll has risen to 2,190. About 30 IDF soldiers from the elite Paratroopers Brigade tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, according to an Army Radio report. Over 900 IDF soldiers and staff members are currently positive for the coronavirus and close to 5,000 are in quarantine.

A man pulled down a Trump flag that was on a Jewish-owned home in Crown Heights overnight. He then returned for the second flag. CrownHeights.info reports: A passing Jewish resident confronted the man, which did not appear to phase the vandal. Instead, the vandal pulled out his phone and appears to video the retreating Jewish man in the backdrop of the torn down flag, which he then throws to the floor and stamps on. Video from nearly an hour later shows as the vandal returns, this time without a mask. The vandal can be seen as he attacks the second flag, flailing it with a plank of wood with protruding nails as two neighboring girls flee in fright. After ripping the second flag, the vandal triumphantly throws the wood to the ground and runs off.

At Sunday’s press conference, NY Governor Cuomo was asked about the Satmar wedding that the state put the brakes on after learning that thousands may be attending.

A massive Yom Tefillah is being planned for Boro Park this week. Sources tell YWN that a meeting of major Boro Park Rabbanim was held on Motzei Shabbos, and a decision was made to have the large Atzeres Tefillah. The decision was made following the forced closure of the Yeshivas and Mosdos due to the Executive Order by NY Governor Cuomo. The closures have resulted in a draconian crackdown by inspectors from numerous city agencies. The Yom Tefillah is expected to bring out tens of thousands of residents. Meanwhile, a tweet by a Boro Park reporter caused an uproar after he tweeted unverified and fake news. His tweet read: “Boro Park is holding a protest against the Cuomo lockdown on Monday, based on a decision tonight by rabbanim”.

The following information is via the incredible Chaim V’Chessed Organization: All passengers arriving in Israel from Red countries are required to quarantine for 14 days. Until now, there has been a limited process to receive a quarantine exemption. This process was available only to those who had previously been diagnosed with Covid, and had a positive PCR test result proving this. Until now, Israeli authorities lent no credence to serological (antibody) tests. Now, the Health Ministry has issued a directive allowing antibody tests to be recognized for quarantine exemptions. Read the directive here. There has been great confusion about how this process will work. Chaim V’Chessed senior medical advisor, Mrs.

A joint American-Israeli delegation, which flew on an El Al plane out of Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday morning landed in Bahrain in the early afternoon for discussions on bilateral agreements following an announcement last month to normalize relations. National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, who led the Israeli delegation, delivered a speech upon arrival to the airport in Manama, opening in Arabic and continuing in Hebrew. He quoted from Beraishis: “‘Let there be light, and there was light. And G-d saw it was good.’ Let us bring light and goodness.” Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al- Zayani spoke and called for a “genuine and lasting peace…leading to a truly peaceful, secure, stable and thriving Middle East.” The U.S. delegation is led by U.S.

Hagaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky instructed all Talmudei Torah in the Chareidi sector to open tomorrow in direct opposition with the government’s instruction to keep schools closed. HaRav Kanievsky instructed that all students from grades 1 through 8 should be learning in school tomorrow, and follow the guidelines inside the schools. The guidelines that the Gadol HaDor stated were students keeping their distances, a smaller number of students per class, and more staff to compensate for the smaller class sizes. Hagaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponavezh opposed this ruling and stated that the children in this age group should learn via phone. According to reports in the Israel media, various Chassidic groups are also planning to open schools tomorrow.

NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York is shifting to a micro-cluster strategy to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Neighborhoods considered in the red zone will get targeted testing and ramped up enforcement of restrictions. Cuomo said that targeting coronavirus would no longer be at the statewide or regional level, but “block-by-block.” “For fall we are going to deploy a micro-cluster strategy. We have been targeting all our actions either … statewide … or we reopened on a regional level. We are now going to analyze it block-by-block,” he said. “We have data so specific that we can’t show it because it could violate privacy conditions. We know exactly where the new cases are coming from.” Cuomo said Orange, Rockland, Queens and Brooklyn counties contain micro-clusters.