New York leaders sought to calm jittery nerves Monday after the city recorded its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus, saying the disease — while dangerous — is a manageable threat. The state is increasing its testing capacity and telling people to expect the smell of bleach as it steps up cleaning in schools and public transit, all while underscoring that the diagnosed woman’s symptoms are so mild that she can recover at home, not in a hospital. “In this situation, the facts defeat fear. Because the reality is reassuring. It is deep-breath time,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Several weeks ago, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein received an urgent call. A young man from Israel, father of four, was suffering from a devastating illness. His only hope for survival was to receive a heart transplant at Columbia University Medical Center. Desperate to live, the young man traveled to America, was admitted to Columbia, and was scheduled to receive lifesaving treatment. But things turned awry when the hospital refused to treat him because of insurance issues and the patient’s visa status could not be confirmed. That’s when community askonim frantically turned to Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein for help. “As soon as they called me, I realized that every minute counts.

There is a search underway by Rockland Chaveirim for a missing 16-year-old Yeshiva Boy in New Jersey. YWN has learned that the boy went missing a few hours ago in state park in Northern NJ. Dozens of Chaveirim members trained for night searches in all types of terrain are involved in the search. The boy was on a trip with his NYC based Mesivta when he went missing. Chaveirim are working with local and state officials on the search. Additional information will be published when it becomes available to us. 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)

The first case of coronavirus has been reported in New York State, Governor Cuomo confirms. “This evening we learned of the first positive case of novel coronavirus – or COVID-19 – in New York State. The patient, a woman in her late thirties, contracted the virus while traveling abroad in Iran, and is currently isolated in her home. The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York. “The positive test was confirmed by New York’s Wadsworth Lab in Albany, underscoring the importance of the ability for our state to ensure efficient and rapid turnaround, and is exactly why I advocated for the approval from Vice President Pence that New York was granted just yesterday.

To better serve the community in Rockland County, Ramapo Police will soon be launching a brand new “Community Affairs Unit”. YWN has learned that the Ramapo Police Department turned to the Commanding Officer of the NYPD’s 66th Precinct, Deputy Inspector James King, who is turn reached out to the venerable Misaskim Organization in Boro Park for their assistance. As a leading community activist for more than 30 years, Rabbi Jack Meyer has been dealing with police and community issues on a a daily basis for decades, and quickly set up a meeting at Misaskim Headquarters in Boro Park. Attending the meeting were representatives from other major organizations such as Hatzolah, Shomrim, Chaveirim, Community Board and other leading community activists.

New York’s governor said Friday he will not approve the state budget without changes to a law that overhauled the state’s bail system. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, third-term Democrat who often uses the state budget to push through his policy priorities, made the comments while speaking on public radio. His remarks could raise the stakes on budget negotiations in the upcoming weeks. The law eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent cases in an effort to prevent poor arrestees from languishing in jail pretrial for low-level crimes. But the law did not eliminate cash bail entirely. Cuomo said he supports removing cash bail in total and allowing judges to have discretion over whether to keep people in custody before a trial.

New York state will wait until April 1 to penalize stores that violate a new ban on single-use plastic bags that is embroiled in litigation, the state’s top environmental official said Friday. New York will officially prohibit stores from handing out most thin plastic bags starting Sunday. But state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said Friday that the state has agreed to delay enforcement as it fights a lawsuit in Albany County court, lodged by a manufacturer of plastic bags and by convenience store owners who call the ban unconstitutional. An association of 6,000 convenience store owners statewide opposes the state’s efforts to allow stores to hand out only thick, reusable plastic bags that the industry says it can’t yet produce.

A man who has twice sued the New York Police Department over stop-and-frisk practices has settled with the city for $10,000. David Ourlicht, 32, initially sued the department in 2008, alleging he was wrongfully stopped, as part of a class action suit that helped curb “stop and frisk,” a policing tactic that has been found to disproportionately affect minorities. Ourlicht sued the city for the second time 10 years later after he and a friend were stopped by two police officers who accused them of smoking marijuana. Ourlicht settled his second case with the city for $10,000 in early February, the New York Daily News reported Thursday. “There’s no amount of money that can make up for these type of experiences. But something is better than nothing,” Ourlicht said.

Federal and state officials have yet to find a compromise to allow New Yorkers back into federal trusted travelers programs even as a Department of Homeland Security official said that the governor’s latest offer looks “promising.” Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said Thursday his agency is in talks with the governor’s office about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to allow federal immigration and border officials to access state Department of Motor Vehicles data without social security numbers. “We believe this proposal could lead to a solution for New York,” he said in a statement.

Your grocery shopping experience is about to get a lot more expensive, thanks to onerous new regulations imposed by New York State lawmakers. Particularly for large families, a typical grocery visit can cost hundreds of dollars. These costs are only growing to grow, as the “plastic bag ban”/”paper bag tax” takes effect on March 1st. This is going to impact your life in a very real way. Aside from a few minor exceptions, all plastic single-use carryout bags will be banned. (Notable exemptions: restaurant bags, pre-packaged bags {like trash bags}, and produce bags.) Paper bags will be offered as a disposable option, but each bag will cost the consumer at least five cents, with larger sizes costing as much as twenty cents – meaning that families will see their grocery charges rising.