Officials say COVID-19 cases rising in Orthodox Jewish communities

Officials say COVID-19 cases rising in Orthodox Jewish communities

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2020, file photo, two women walk with children during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in the Borough Park neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York. Amid a new surge of COVID-19 in New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities, many residents are reviving health measures that some had abandoned over the summer – social distancing, wearing masks. For many, there’s also a return of anger: They feel the city is singling them out for criticism that other groups avoid. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — There is a new surge of COVID-19 in New York City’s Orthodox Jewish communities. As a result, many residents are reviving health measures they abandoned over the summer, such as social distancing and wearing masks. For many, there’s also a return of anger. They feel the city is singling them out for criticism. Over the past two weeks, top government officials, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, have sounded the alarm about localized upticks in COVID-19. The officials say most of the worst-hit ZIP codes are home to large Orthodox Jewish communities in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens and a couple of nearby counties.

 

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)