Gov. Cuomo Targets Jews, Despite Outbreaks Throughout the State

 By Yehudit Garmaise

Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo mentioned recent “intense COVID outbreaks” in Broome County, Orange County, Rockland County, and Nassau County, however, he strangely focused many of his remarks during an hour-long press conference on the recent upticks in Brooklyn and his outreach to Orthodox Jewish leaders.

   Gov. Cuomo also mentioned many sites of mass gatherings, which he said are “super-spreaders of the virus,” but despite many different kinds of political, musical, restaurant and bar, secular holiday (4th of July, Labor Day), and college party gatherings: not to mention mask-less political protests and rioting that have caused outbreaks in New York, Cuomo strangely focused on Orthodox Jewish gatherings at “houses of worship” in Brooklyn throughout his press conference.

  “We have had concerts in the Hamptons that should have never happened,” Cuomo rued. “We’ve had bars that have attracted crowds over and over again, that should have never happened. We have had college parties that have often happened off site, that should have never happened.

  “We have had religious gatherings that have been circulated on social media for weeks and action was not taken.”

  Cuomo made no secret that he did not approve of “local governments” who fail to enforce the state laws right now that require mask-wearing and social distancing.

    “A law doesn’t work if you are too incompetent or too politically frightened to enforce it,” said Cuomo, seemingly criticizing New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who just yesterday wanted to take further steps than Gov. Cuomo in protecting the nine neighborhoods with COVID spikes.

After closing both public and private schools today in areas in New York state with COVID spikes, Gov. Cuomo said today the same areas have until Friday close “high-risk” non-essential businesses, such as gyms and businesses that offer personal care, and he reiterated that the areas with COVID surges can have no indoor dining, and outdoor tables are limited to four diners.

 “What is our strategy?” Cuomo asked. “Crush the cluster. And stop the spread.”

   In explaining how he plans to “stop the spread,” Gov. Cuomo didn’t happen to mention the 200 people who attended a campaign fundraiser at the Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, NJ, last week or Joe Biden’s recently increased in-person campaigning.   

   Cuomo strangely did not wonder what the mass gatherings may be that are causing what he calls “intense outbreaks” in Binghamton, and other smaller cities throughout New York State or what he planned to do to stop them.

   Gov. Cuomo, did, however, make sure to repeatedly mention he religious Jews of Brooklyn and Queens, that he would reduce the maximum capacity of shuls to 25% and to 10 people, masks-or no masks, just days before the final two days of our Fall Yom Tov season, and that he is increasing the fines against mass gatherings to $15,000.

   “A mass gathering causes infections,” Cuomo said. “Infections cause a cluster, and a cluster causes community spread. That is the natural evolution of things, unless, we intervene, and we stop the cycle.

  “If we just let the cycle run, that is what is going to happen.”

  Cuomo went on to admit, “We see clusters now across the state.”

“We have clusters Binghamton, Orange, Rockland, Queen, Brooklyn, and Nassau.”

  But what is causing all those clusters that are erupting all across New York state? And why is Gov. Cuomo spending so much of his time talking about Brooklyn?

 (Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)