Gov. Cuomo Reduces Shuls to 25% Capacity: No More Than 10 People

By Yehudit Garmaise

 Gov. Andrew Cuomo just announced the new restrictions for the areas in New York with the highest COVID surges that should be implemented by tomorrow, but no later than Friday.

    Gov. Cuomo said that in addition to closing the public and private schools today, no mass gatherings will be allowed, and shuls can only be filled to 25% capacity, with up to 10 people maximum, restaurants can only sell take-out food, and high risk non-essential businesses will be closed.

  “These are state laws,” Cuomo said. “Blame me. I have no problem with that. The rules are only as good as the enforcement. We are doing this because [these restrictions] are effective.

People may have “COVID fatigue, but COVID isn’t tired. The virus is still energetic and strong enough to kill you. We don’t have the luxury of fatigue.”

  “We act responsibly with COVID because we want to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities."

  The virus clusters, the governor said, are not coming from non-essential businesses and schools, although the virus can spread anywhere, the big "super-spreaders" are mass-gatherings, said the governor, who although he mentioned college parties, concerts in the Hamptons, and city bars and restaurants, the governor said that "one of the prime places of mass gatherings are houses of worship.

"This is a sensitive topic, and these restrictions apply to all houses of worship," the governor said. "I understand the imposition [these restrictions] will place on them. I need their cooperation. I need their partnership. They are cohesive communities."

   Gov. Cuomo said that he spoke this morning to leaders of the Orthodox Jewish community, and he said that his restrictions were positively received.  

    "I thanked them for their cooperation, and I said to them I am doing this for a very simple reason. I have such respect and love for the Orthodox community. I have been friends with them all my life. I want to protect them. 

    "In Jewish teachings, one of the most precious principals is saving a life. The Torah even speaks about how certain religious obligations are excused to save a life.

 "These restrictions are about saving lives. No large gatherings in synagogues. We look at these clusters. People will die in these clusters. This is about protecting people and saving lives."