The following important update was released by the Chaim VChessed Organization: In October, the Health Ministry of Israel released rules which would have granted quarantine exemptions to travelers arriving from Red countries, based on serological (antibody) testing. This news was a significant breakthrough for those who had suffered from Corona abroad but did not have PCR documentation. Disappointingly, in an embarrassing turnaround, this dispensation was suspended just a few days after it was established. However, in a new missive issued late on December 16, Dr. Sharon Elrai-Preis, Director of Public Health Services, announced that exemptions for travelers based on serological testing will be reinstated, effective Sunday, December 20. The details of the new process are still unclear.

ויהי בחצי הלילה: A Supreme Court ruling came down at midnight in favor of a suit brought by Agudath Israel against NY Governor Cuomo’s draconian rules against Shuls and other houses of worship. The ruling was 5-4. Chief Justice Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent. These votes mark the first marked impact of Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the Court and the country. She joined her four conservative brethren in blocking the limits whereas Justice Ginsburg anchored 5-4 majorities the other way in the spring. “This is an historic victory.

NY Governor Cuomo blasted a recent “very secret” Satmar wedding which had around 7,500 people in attendance after the NY Post published the details. “If that happened, it was a blatant disregard of the law, it’s illegal, and was also disrespectful to the people on New York”, Cuomo said. “My information is that NYC is investigating the incident, they should investigate, and if 7,000 people were at a wedding, I’m sure they will be able to figure it out, and we will bring the full consequence of legal action to bear”. Cuomo’s response came after the top story on the NY Post website on Motzei Shabbos reported about the wedding for grandchild of the Satmar Rebbe, HaRav Aharon Teitelbaum – reportedly attended by 7,500 people. The Post blasted Satmar for not adhering to COVID-19 restrictions.

Pfizer said Friday it is asking U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and eventually an end to the pandemic — but not until after a long, hard winter. The action comes days after Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech announced that its vaccine appears 95% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID-19 disease in a large, ongoing study. The companies said that protection plus a good safety record means the vaccine should qualify for emergency use authorization, something the Food and Drug Administration can grant before the final testing is fully complete.

A video taken on Wednesday, depicts a police officer hitting and kicking Charedi demonstrators during a protest that took place earlier on Mount Zion in Yerushalayim. A police spokesperson said that the video only showed a part of the actual incident and that the protesters had surrounded the police officer and threatened him prior to the footage seen in the video. However, additional footage from the protest that was released later, showed clearly, that the official response given by the police spokesperson was incorrect, and the officer in question acted violently towards the protesters even before the original footage was filmed. Photographer Yishai Yerushalmi, who filmed the violent actions of the officer, published the clip in its entirety on Wednesday evening.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday again asserted that he “won” the November 3 presidential election as he reiterated his allegations that there was voter fraud all over the US. “AND I WON THE ELECTION. VOTER FRAUD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY!” Trump wrote in an all caps tweet in which he tagged a tweet of The New York Times along with a map of the United States which said he received 10.1 million more votes across the US than he received four years ago, including in areas with a majority of Hispanic voters. …AND I WON THE ELECTION. VOTER FRAUD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY! https://t.co/9coP3R44UQ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2020 Continuing with his tweets, Trump alleged that this was a rigged election. “This was a rigged election.

U.S. regulators on Tuesday allowed emergency use of the first rapid coronavirus test that can be performed and developed entirely at home. The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration represents an important step in U.S. efforts to expand testing options for COVID-19 beyond health care facilities and testing sites. However, the test will require a prescription, likely limiting its initial use. The FDA granted emergency authorization to the 30-minute test kit from Lucira Health, a California manufacturer. The company’s test allows users to swab themselves to collect a nasal sample. The sample is then swirled in a vial that plugs into a portable device, that interprets the results and displays whether the person tested positive or negative for coronavirus.

Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, who was accused of being one of the masterminds behind the deadly 1988 attacks on US embassies in Africa, was killed by Israeli agents in Iran in August at the behest of the US, the New York Times reported on Friday. Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went by the alias Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was shot on the streets of Tehran on August 7, the anniversary of the embassy attacks. His daughter Miriam, the widow of Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza bin Laden, who was with him at the time, was also killed by the bullets. Intelligence officials confirmed that the elimination was carried out by Israeli operatives on the request of the US but it is unclear what role, if any, the US had in the operation.

Six northeast U.S. governors are having an “emergency summit” on COVID-19 this weekend as the virus continues to spread throughout the region, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. Cuomo said the group will discuss potential coordination of restrictions on restaurants and bars, as well as interstate travel and quarantine rules. Several states have passed new restrictions this week, including New York’s 10 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants and a ban on gatherings over 10 people in private residences. “We believe we’re going to have to be taking additional steps,” Cuomo said, though he said he doesn’t expect any major changes to existing rules over the weekend. Cuomo said he expects infection rates will keep increasing in New York and nationwide as the holiday season begins.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced that Brooklyn’s hot spot has shown progress and will be moving to an Orange zone from the Red zone amid a rise in coronavirus cases across the city. “Brooklyn was quite a fuss when we made it a red zone,” he said. “People didn’t like the restrictions, but it worked,” Cuomo noted. NYC Councilman Chaim Deutsch tells YWN that he spoke with the Governor’s office this morning and non-essential businesses can reopen, aside from “high-risk” businesses, such as gyms. Houses of worship: 33% capacity/25 max Mass gatherings: 10 people max Businesses: open, aside from high-risk (e.g.