RAANANA, Israel (AP) — While hunkering down at home and keeping three young children entertained in coronavirus isolation, Adi Karmon Scope had a thought: How much harder was it for those on the front lines of the pandemic? So Karmon Scope, a 44-year-old startup entrepreneur took to Facebook to ask Israelis to assist both the […]

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic is threatening international peace and security — “potentially leading to an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease.” He urged the U.N.’s most powerful body, which has been […]

(April 8, 2020 / JNS) As the “Startup Nation,” it comes as no surprise that Israeli organizations, medical centers, hospitals and even the country’s Ministry of Defense are acquiring and producing vital medical equipment to treat, prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19. Equally noteworthy are the various partnerships within Israeli entities, as well with […]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Senior officials in Israel continue to criticize the Health Ministry’s policy of imposing sweeping isolation on the entire country while minimizing the importance of mass testing as a tool for locating and isolating the epicenters of COVID-19 in the country. On Sunday, Prof. Zeev Rothstein, the director-general of Hadassah, spoke at the […]

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s death toll from the coronavirus has been disproportionately high in black and Hispanic communities, and the city is starting an outreach campaign for those residents, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday. “We’re seeing folks who have struggled before really being hit particularly hard,” de Blasio said at a […]

NEW YORK (AP) — As health officials around the world push to get more ventilators to treat coronavirus patients, some doctors are moving away from using the breathing machines when they can. The reason: Some hospitals have reported unusually high death rates for coronavirus patients on ventilators, and some doctors worry that the machines could […]

JERUSALEM (AP) — Each year, Patricia Sheetrit and her family gather with in-laws for the first night of Passover, bringing together some 20 people for the holiday’s main event, the festive meal known as the Seder. But like most Israelis, Sheetrit and her husband will be stuck at home this year — holding a bare-bones […]

AMSTERDAM (JTA) – At least 15 people have died at the main Jewish elderly home in Amsterdam and another 22 are infected with the disease. COVID-19 began infecting Beth Shalom residents in the middle of March, just before management imposed a lockdown, a spokesperson for the medical administration Cordaan, which runs the home, told Het […]

ASHDOD (VINnews) — This street Bris took place in Ashdod today, presumably to enable neighbours to look on and participate. Note the alcohol gel on hand and the masks on faces of participants.

MONSEY (VINnews) — Members of Monsey’s Hatzalah celebrated as their friend returned home after recovering from coronavirus. The friends sang and danced with him (maintaining social distance) and praised G-d for helping their friend recover.