LONDON (JTA) – As the coronavirus forced the shutdown of many synagogues in the United States and beyond last Shabbat, many British Jews celebrated the day of rest as usual. At the time, their government was taking a far less restrictive approach even as the leaders of other countries shut down schools and urgently warned […]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Thursday that even with the steps taken so far to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel has only managed to “slowed down the pace of the spread of the virus, but the virus continues to spread.” He said that deaths in Israel are expected and warns that “many […]

LAKEWOOD (VINnews) — Not all Yeshivos have followed the mandatory guidelines to close their Yeshivos. At least one Yeshiva in Lakewood has 150 Bochrim sitting and learning, defying all instructions from doctors and local, state, and federal officials. The students of Mesivta of Lakewood, under direct guidance of their Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yosef (Yossel) Burstein […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Police officers in Fort Worth and Denver have stopped arresting people for some low-level crimes. The district attorney in Brooklyn is declining to prosecute them. And many courthouses across the U.S. are closing their doors, delaying trials and canceling jury duty, as the coronavirus disrupts even the most fundamental pillars of […]

BEIJING (AP) — Thursday was a day of contrasts on the front lines of the battle against the new coronavirus. In a sign of hope, the Chinese city of Wuhan reported no new homegrown infections, but in a stark warning for the world, Italy appeared set to surpass China’s death toll from the virus. The […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a matter of days, millions of Americans have seen their lives upended by measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Normally bustling streets are deserted as families hunker down in their homes. Many of those who do venture out try to stay a safe distance from anyone they encounter, […]

NEW YORK (VINnews) — In his latest Facebook video, Dr. Stuart Ditchek, an infectious disease specialist from Brooklyn, New York, declares unequivocally that all shuls in New York should be closed immediately and whoever goes to Shul with a Minyan at present is a sinner who could potentially be a murderer if he infects older […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Extraordinary restrictions on everyday activities expanded to more areas of California on Wednesday as many parents around the state struggled to fathom the prospect put forth by Gov. Gavin Newsom of schools staying closed until summer to head off spread of the coronavirus. Newsom, meantime, announced he would spend $150 million […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon’s role in responding to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States began to rapidly expand Wednesday as officials announced that two Navy hospital ships and two Army field hospitals were preparing to deploy to help overburdened regions. The latest moves are aimed at taking the pressure off local hospitals so […]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — In Ohio, more than 48,000 people applied for jobless benefits during the first two days of this week. The tally during the same period the prior week: just 1,825. In neighboring Pennsylvania, about 70,000 people sought unemployment aid in a single day — six times the total for the entire […]