The following is from the Facebook page of News 12 reporter Blaise Gomez. YWN notes that Gomez is well-known in the Jewish community, running round trying to find stories in the Jewish community. Many of her stories prompt hundreds of anti-Semitic comments on her social media platforms and make their way around other hate outlets in Upstate NY. “We saw children at windows inside the United Talmudical Academy in Kiryas Joel this morning – despite the state’s executive order, closing schools in New York. Following our arrival, other children walking toward school, with books in hand, or being driven in were turned away by several men standing outside. A viewer also sent us a photo of children standing outside UTA this morning, which I will post in the thread.

Senator Ted Cruz is calling on the Justice Department to investigate NYC Mayor Deblasio after the NYPD shut down a Hasidic Yeshiva operating in defiance of the executive order. “The next time NYC’s mayor sends out a gleeful tweet about sending cops after Jews, the DOJ should investigate to make sure he’s not violating constitutionally guaranteed religious liberties,” Cruz wrote in a Tuesday morning tweet. “Actually, they should have done it after the last one,” he added. As YWN reported, the NYPD on Monday shut down an Orthodox Jewish school in Brooklyn that was operating illegally during the pandemic.

A New York City physician known for his dedication to patient care continued working on the frontlines of the pandemic in an intensive care unit and died from COVID-19. As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in New York, Dr. James A. Mahoney, 62, worked nonstop at University Hospital of Brooklyn, an under-funded institution that serves a predominantly poor, black community, The New York Times reported Monday. Many physicians near his age stopped seeing patients out of concern that age or health issues would put them at a greater risk. But Mahoney, who was on the frontlines during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the AIDS epidemic, refused, according to his boss, Dr. Robert F. Foronjy.

Cholov Yisroel cream cheese has apparently listened to government and medical personnel to “stop the spread”, and consumers are reporting a shortage of the product. Consumers report that most Kosher supermarkets have no cream cheese whatsoever. One person told YWN they went to six stores in Flatbush on Monday morning before they were able to find any. Besides for normal usage, the cheese product is highly popular this time of year as many recipes call for cream cheese to make many items consumed on Shavuos. Companies such as J&J say the shortage is due to employees only working half their normal hours the past few weeks due to COVID-19. Beside for “stopping the spread”, the shortage will most definitely help “flatten the curve”. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Western New York, including the city of Buffalo, met the state’s coronavirus containment goals and can begin to reopen its economy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. Hospitals will be able to schedule elective surgeries as the region enters the first phase of reopening on Tuesday, but gatherings such as church services and sports events will still be banned, Cuomo said. “Personal disclosure — I want to watch the Buffalo Bills,” said Cuomo, who held Monday’s briefing in Buffalo.

The NYPD shut down a Yeshiva in Brooklyn after neighbors reported the school was operating in violation of city and state orders, law enforcement officials told NBC New York. The Yeshiva is on Madison Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. According to NBC, “more than 100 children were inside the building Monday morning when police arrived”. YWN has confirmed that the “children” are in fact 15 year old Bochrim. The people who complained to the NYPD and called 311 reported seeing children playing on the roof of the school building without masks. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (Source: NBC New York)

As the summer is fast approaching, New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein says it is time to have an honest and candid discussion about opening sleepaway summer camps. In the larger context of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening the state will be a slow and deliberate process, with the health and safety of all New Yorkers the primary consideration. With the proper guidelines and protocols, Assemblyman Eichenstein says that sleepaway camp can potentially be a safe option for our children this summer. Assemblyman Eichenstein points out that sleepaway camps are unique in that they potentially are able to create a locked down and highly controlled environment.

Embattled Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot issued an apology to members of the NYPD after she reportedly blew off a request from NYPD top brass for 500,000 surgical masks, saying she didn’t “give two rats’ [EXPLETIVE REMOVED] about your cops.” “The members of the NYPD fight valiantly every day to keep New Yorkers safe. In mid-March, I was asked to provide the NYPD with a half million N-95 masks, while masks and other PPE were in terribly short supply. I wished we had sufficient numbers to meet their full request and were ultimately able to partially fulfill what was sought. “This regrettably led to an argument in which words were exchanged between a police official and myself.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that he believes New York City will likely meet the state’s seven metrics to begin easing restrictions for the first phase of reopening sometime in the first half of June. “The first half of June is the first opportunity to relax anything,” the mayor said during his daily briefing. According to the state, as of Monday, New York City has only met three of the seven criteria required to start easing restrictions. “We clearly are making progress, there’s several we’ve met and on the others there’s been clear progress in the number of available hospital beds and number of ICU beds, those are two areas where we need to go farther, but we’re getting close to those goals, and I think there’s a point in the first half of June when we’ll meet those.

NY Governor Cuomo says that Shuls can possibly be open for Shavuos, but lots of rules will likely be put into place. Cumno made the announcement at Sunday’s press conference when asked if Jews will allowed to be in Shul on Yom Tov. Cuomo responded that gatherings of 15 people with social distancing and “safeguards” will likely be permitted. “We will have guidance on Monday or by Tuesday”, Cuomo added. These rules will be put in place for all Memorial Day gatherings as well. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)