New York and New Jersey have added 10 states to the list from which travelers are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, and Connecticut are expected to follow suit. The newly-added states are Alaska, Delaware (re-added), Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia and Washington (re-added). Minnesota has been removed from the list. New York plans to levy a $2,000 fine against certain travelers who leave airports in the state without submitting a form that says where the travelers are arriving from and where they’re going. Governor Andrew Cuomo said the fines would apply to travelers from the list of states – including Texas and Florida – who are required to quarantine for 14 days under New York’s travel advisory.

Shalva Zalfreund, a’h, a kindergarten teacher and resident of Petach Tikvah passed away on Friday at the age of 64 after contracting the coronavirus in her classroom. A week after she was diagnosed with the virus and two weeks before her death, Zalfreund wrote a letter to the parents of the children she taught saying that she caught the virus at the kindergarten. “You surely saw what I wrote in the past requesting that everyone act with responsibility since I’m at high-risk.

Mexico, like many Latin-American countries, has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, with currently the seventh-highest amount of coronavirus cases in the world, a total of 338,913 cases, and 38,888 fatalities. Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has downplayed the dangers of the pandemic, stressing the need for the economy to remain open. The country also has one of the lowest testing rates in the world, which means the true number of cases and deaths are far higher than recorded. Amidst the raging pandemic, the Jewish community in Mexico has done remarkably well, with over 600 Jews diagnosed with the virus and 10 fatalities, all of them elderly, due to implementing its own independent community lockdown, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported.

Recent reports in Yemenite media outlets and an Egyptian newspaper that the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has rounded up the country’s few remaining Jews as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign may be completely false, The Jerusalem Post reported. Israel’s Foreign Ministry told The Post that they have been asked by many sources about the report but it appears to be false. Another international organization with connections to the Jewish community in Yemen also told The Post that it investigated the reports and found them to be false. Despite the claims that the allegations are false, the Yemenite embassy in Washington quoted the reports, apparently in order to slander the Iranian-backed Houthis, but did not mention whether they investigated or verified the reports.

Following a report on YWN quoting multiple seminaries in Eretz Yisroel that they will be opening this year, the Mir Yerushalayim has sent out an email to their Talmidim. While the impression the seminaries are giving the students is that it will be “business as usual”, the Mir should be commended for sending out in depth-details of what has not yet even been finalized. The following is the email from the Mir: Dear Talmidei Hayeshiva – I hope this email finds you all well. I am delighted to share you with you yet another positive progress in planning for the coming Elul Zman at the Mir Yeshiva. Elul Zman in Eretz Yisroel – B”H the Interior ministry has notified Yeshivos and Seminaries of their intent to allow entry of their Talmidim from abroad.

The yartzheit of Hagaon Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt’l, falls out this year on Sunday night and Monday. A special seder limud will be held in the Beis Medrash Tiferes Bochurim, at which HaRav Yosef Efrati will speak as well as Rav Elyashiv’s grandson, Rav Avraham Elyashiv, and Rav Tzvi Weissfish. On Monday, after Shacharis, Rav Elyashiv’s grandson is making a siyum on Masechtas Zevachim and at 7 pm. a Siyum Hashas is being held by the Rav’s talmidim and family members near the Rav’s home. At the same time, hespedim will be given over a phone hotline by Rav Elyashiv’s son-in-law, Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, and other Rabbanim. Crowds (minimal and in adherence with social distancing rules) will visit the kever beginning on Sunday evening.

Rapper Kanye West, in his first event since declaring himself a presidential candidate, ranted against historical figure Harriet Tubman on Sunday, saying the Underground Railroad conductor “never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people,” comments that drew shouts of opposition from some in the crowd. West delivered a lengthy monologue, touching on topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals, before a crowd in North Charleston, South Carolina. Whether he is actually seeking the nation’s highest office remains a question. Tubman is one of the most respected figures of 19th century America.

A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge as he answered the door of the family home Sunday in New Jersey and shot and wounded the judge’s husband before fleeing, according to judiciary officials. The shootings occurred at the North Brunswick home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and killed her son, Daniel, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press. Her husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured in the attack, Wolfson said. Salas was in the basement at the time and wasn’t injured, according to a judiciary official who wasn’t authorized to comment and spoke anonymously to the AP. The perpetrator, believed to be a lone gunman posing as a FedEx delivery person, was not in custody, the official said.

There is much excitement among Bochrim and seminary girls on Sunday afternoon, after  messages from various seminaries and Yeshivas in Eretz Yisroel went viral on social media, all announcing that they plan on opening this coming year. One message from Bnos Chava Seminary claims in their email that ALL seminaries have been given “official permission” to open for next year. Their email to the parent body reads as follows: “Dear Parents, We are happy to inform you that Bnos Chava, together with all other seminaries have now been given the official permission to open for next year. All of the details are not yet clear and we will update you in the near future as things develop.

The Knesset’s coronavirus committee met on Sunday morning to discuss the latest restrictions imposed by the government. “I’m worried about the situation,” said Health Ministry Deputy Director-General Prof. Itamar Grotto told the committee members.  “The hospitals are now packed with patients and we’re on the brink of not being able to withstand the load.” Grotto added that those currently hospitalized reflect the morbidity of the prior two weeks and even if Israel imposes a full nationwide lockdown today and no one leaves their homes, the infection rate will continue to rise. There are currently 649 coronavirus patients hospitalized in Israel, with 238 in serious condition, according to Health Ministry data.