There are 9,248 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Israel as of Tuesday evening, with 149 patients in serious condition, of whom 117 are on ventilators. A total of 770 Israelis have recovered from the coronavirus, including Aharon Sidman, a 92-year-old man, who was hospitalized for a week in Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. The number of deaths in Israel rose to 65 as of Tuesday night. Earlier, Israel’s youngest coronavirus victim passed away when a 37-year-old man with preexisting health conditions passed away in HaSharon Hospital in Petach Tikvah on Tuesday evening. Two patients passed away on Tuesday morning at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, a 95-year-old woman and a 90-year-old man.

There isn’t a person who isn’t grateful to the heroes of Hatzolah, who have been responding to literally thousands upon thousands of COVID-19 emergencies. Just Flatbush Hatzolah was responding to nearly 200 calls each day last week. These heroes deserve to be thanked by everyone, along with all the heroes of the medical field. But on Tuesday, Flatbush Hatzolah made a tremendous Kiddush Hashem, when they themselves decided to thank the incredible hospital staff at local hospitals, who have been trying their best in this time of war, as they work together around the clock to fight this invisible enemy of Coronavirus.

The Novominsker Rebbe, Harav Yaakov Perlow, z’tl, was niftar early Tuesday morning at the age of 89, plunging all of Klal Yisrael into deep mourning. The Rebbe has served as a leader of the American Jewish community, the head of Agudas Yisrael of America and the Nasi of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. The Rebbe was known for his rhetorical skills and was the keynote speaker for many years at Agudas Yisrael and Torah Umesorah gatherings. The Rebbe, who was ill with the coronavirus, collapsed in his home in Boro Park at 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Hatzalah volunteers who arrived at his home spent many long moments trying to resuscitate him but to their sorrow, they were unsuccessful and were forced to declare his death.

Some politicians and doctors are sparring over whether to use hydroxychloroquine against the new coronavirus, with many scientists saying the evidence is too thin to recommend it now. HOW IS IT BEING USED? The drug can help tame an overactive immune system. It’s been used since the 1940s to prevent and treat malaria, and to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. It’s sold in generic form and under the brand name Plaquenil in the United States. Doctors also can prescribe it “off label” for other purposes, as many are doing now for COVID-19. WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE? Some small and very preliminary studies give conflicting results. One lab study suggested it curbed the virus’ ability to enter cells.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of HaRav Moshe Homnick Z”L. He was in his eighties. The Niftar was a Rov in Lakewood since moving there a few years ago. Prior to that, he lived in Flatbush, and gave Shiurim in Landau’s Shul, and was a well-respected figure in Chaim Berlin and Camp Morris, where he gave Shiurim in the summers for decades. As a Bochur, the Niftar learned in RJJ, Chaim Berlin, Yeshivas Chevron, Mir Yerushalayim, and under Hagaon HaRav Aharon Kotler in Lakewood’s BMG. In addition to being a brilliant talmid Chochom and Masmid, Rav Homnick was a therapist and marriage counselor for more than 40 years. Tragically, his wife Mrs Miriam Homnick A”H was Niftar just last week. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes… (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

April 6, 2020 Dear Community Member, First, we would like to thank you for your remarkable level of cooperation with previously issued guidelines such as social distancing, washing hands, staying home, etc. We understand that this is a difficult time of year for everyone. We are encouraged by the commitment of our community to our health and wellbeing. We would like to remind you of the following: NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BECOME COMPLACENT! While we are hopefully seeing a change towards the positive, if we aren’t extremely strict and careful with following the measures that are currently in place, we can c’’v see a deadly resurgence. There has been enough death and suffering in our community already.

The Levaya of the Klausenberger Rebbitzen was held on Monday in Netanya, Eretz Yisroel. Due to the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic which has already taken the lives of around dozens and dozens of Yidden around the globe, the Sanzer Rebbe enforced the social distaning rules for the Levaya. Normally, this Levaya would of had thousands of people attending, but the Rebbe only allowed his sons to attend, and everyone else to listen on phone-hookup. See the attached video and photos of the Levaya and Kevura. Meanwhile, various Levayos in NY are turning into national headlines. Naturally, when YWN published one of the articles showing how the NYPD attempted to shut down one of those Levayos, YWN was accused of being self-hating Jews and publishing “hate”.

Israel is reportedly imposing a nationwide lockdown on Erev Pesach, which falls out on Wednesday this year. The curfew will go into effect beginning on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and will continue until early morning on Friday. Knesset MKs are set to have a virtual meeting on Monday night during which they will reportedly approve the emergency regulations. The lockdown will ban all travel between cities and curtail movement within cities, only allowing residents to go to grocery stores or pharmacies closest to their homes. The move comes after many government officials have expressed fears that the Seder night will be a repeat of Purim, when many people became infected from the coronavirus due to gatherings and family get-togethers.

After receiving countless calls from family members desperate for status updates on their loved ones in the hospital, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein is calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to issue an executive order requiring all hospitals to communicate and provide medical updates to families on a regular basis. Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, hospitals have implemented no-visitors policies. This has led to a lack of communication between medical providers and patient’s families due to the families not being allowed in the hospitals. Patient representatives need to be given the access and ability to communicate updates at a minimum every 24 hours to desperate families eagerly awaiting information on the medical status of their loved ones.

Hagaon HaRav Tzvi Hirsh Meislish ZATZAL, the Av Beis Din of Shopron was Niftar on Sunday from COVID-19 at the age of 80. The Levaya is taking place on Sunday night on Hewes Street in Williamsburg. Hundreds of people showed up to the Levaya on Hewes Street, only to be met with a massive NYPD Level 1 Mobilization response. A police chopper was hovering overhead as police began trying to move people off the streets. This is the second Levaya on Sunday to be met with NYPD resistance. The first Levaya was for the Kozlover Rebbe at his Bais Medrash in Boro Park at 55th St and 12th Avenue. At that Levaya, multiple eye-wittiness tell YWN that the police requested that the crowd – 95% of whom were not wearing masks – maintain social distancing, who adamantly refused.