New York City’s mayor said Sunday that he has asked the state for permission to close schools and reinstate restrictions on nonessential businesses in several neighborhoods because of a resurgence of the coronavirus. The action, if approved, would mark a disheartening retreat for a city that enjoyed a summer with less spread of the virus than most other parts of the country, and had only recently celebrated the return of students citywide to in-person learning in classrooms. Shutdowns would happen starting Wednesday in nine ZIP codes in the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. DEBLASIO SAID: “This would begin this Wednesday morning coming – Wednesday, October 7th – require the closure of nonessential businesses in these nine ZIP codes, and I want to go through them now.

Hagaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, the Rav of the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood of Bnei Brak, and the son-in-law of HaRav Elyashiv, z’tl, paskened that Jews are obligated daven for the refuah shleimah of President Trump due to the obligation of Hakaras HaTov (gratitude).

As the coronavirus infection rate continues to rise Israel, senior medical professionals are seeing more and more cases of Israelis diagnosed with the virus for the second time. “The data is unequivocal by us,” a senior health professional in one of Israel’s Kupot Cholim told B’Chadrei Chareidim. “Just in our Kupah, there are over 30 patients who were recently diagnosed for the second time, even those who didn’t have only mild symptoms the first time. It’s clear that people can contract the virus more than once.” According to the official, Israel’s medical data has great significance on a worldwide scale.

The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump had contracted COVID-19 and was suffering “mild symptoms” as the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans spread to the highest reaches of the U.S. government. Just a month before the presidential election, the revelation came in a Trump tweet about 1 a.m. after he had returned from an afternoon political fundraiser. He had gone ahead, saying nothing to the crowd though knowing he had been exposed to an aide with the disease that has infected millions in America and killed more than a million people worldwide. First lady Melania Trump also tested positive, the president said, and several others in the White House have, too, prompting concern that the White House or even Trump himself might have spread the virus further.

A senior Health Ministry official said on Wednesday that the Israeli public should refrain from inviting the Ushpizin to their sukkahs since they are considered like enclosed spaces. “Everyone should spend Sukkos witth their nuclear family members only and in any case, no more than ten people, as is required by the restrictions,” the health official said, as quoted on Kan News.  “Spending time in a sukkah is considered like spending time inside a building or enclosed space and therefore everyone should avoid inviting the Ushpizin to their sukkahs.” The health ministry’s directive to “avoid inviting the Ushpizin” was posted on social media and made quite a sensation.

Hagaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, 93, tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, Erev Sukkos. Baruch Hashem, his condition is good and he is at home learning his regular sedarim as usual under close medical supervision. HaRav Chaim’s family members stated: “Due to changes in the Rav’s temperature, the Rav was tested and was found positive for the coronavirus. B’Siyata Dishmaya, the Rav is currently feeling well and is continuing his sidrei limud as usual and of course, is under close medical supervision.” Meanwhile, a number of HaRav Chaim’s grandchildren and other members of his household – including his driver – received positive results from the Covid-19 tests that they took over the past few days.

President Donald Trump said late Thursday night that he and the first lady would begin a quarantine process after top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for coronavirus. “The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!” Trump tweeted after earlier suggesting that he may quarantine. Trump’s tweet came minutes after the White House disclosed his schedule for Friday, which includes White House meetings, a roundtable with supporters and an evening campaign rally in Florida. The White House didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry about whether the president’s quarantine would result in events being canceled. President @realDonaldTrump tweets that he is going into quarantine.

Avraham Rotman, a Satmar Chassid who runs a well-known store in the Me’ah Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, with a satellite store in Beit Shemesh know as Kol Zol Rotman’s, found 600,000 NIS in cash that was tucked away in between crates of Yizkor (Yartzheit) candles. In a viral video, Avraham relates the story: “My friends, listen to this story. One of my workers, a truly righteous Jew, ordered 20 cases of Yizkor candles prior to Yom Kippur. He opened one of the cases and found the money inside it. More than half-a-million shekel.” Avraham continued: “He asked a Rov what to do. The Rav Paskened that he could take the money for himself as the owners most likely have already given up on finding it. But the finder decided that he was going to return it in any case.

According to a report that was shared by N12 news yesterday, 17 Breslov Chassidim, knowing they had COVID-19 symptoms flew back to Israel on 17 different flights. The information was reported by N12 after they claimed to have received confirmation about the ill patients from high-ranking officials in the Health Ministry. The report then continued to say that the Chassidim are not cooperating with epidemiological investigations, refuse to get tested, and refuse to assist the authorities in any way. “This is one roadblock after another that they are throwing our way. They refuse to get tested or checked, they refuse to cooperate, and they refuse to sign up for isolation. This will arm everyone,” the Health Ministry officials were quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu‏‏ warned on Tuesday that the current lockdown will last at least a month. “The lockdown won’t be less than a month and could be longer,” Netanyahu said on a Facebook Live video. The prime minister added that Israel now has over 800 seriously ill patients, the often-cited maximum number that Israel’s hospitals can treat. “Unfortunately, the number of deaths is also rising,” the prime minister said. “I urge all citizens to comply with the rules, without exception. People don’t understand the power of masks. Wearing them inside saves lives.” Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy told hospital directors on Wednesday that a plan is being implemented to add 1,500 hospital beds – 750 by October 5, and another 750 by October 15.