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Coronavirus Updates: Cuomo Accuses Trump Of "Fomenting The Ultra-Orthodox In Brooklyn"

Elizabeth Kim

and

Christopher Robbins

Published Oct 9, 2020

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Governor Andrew Cuomo at a press conference earlier this week.

Governor's Office

Elizabeth Kim

and

Christopher Robbins

Published Oct 9, 2020

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This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Friday, October 9th, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 4 of reopening now, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and gyms. A look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here's the latest:

1:53 p.m.: In a call with reporters on Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo defended his administration's creation of new restrictive measures for zones with high COVID-19 positivity rates, and accused President Donald Trump of directly coordinating with an anti-masking demagogue in Borough Park.

"We have always attacked clusters. This cluster happens to be predominantly in the ultra-Orthodox communities in Brooklyn and Queens," Cuomo said, repeatedly hammering the data point that the hot zones represent just 2.8% of the state's population, but 20% of its new cases. New York's overall positivity rate is 1.1%, according to state data, but 5.4% in the 20 hotspot ZIP codes.

"There is no question that the president of the United States is a divisive force," Cuomo said, invoking the news that a right-wing terrorist group was allegedly planning to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "I also believe his campaign is fomenting the ultra-Orthodox in Brooklyn."

The governor then played a robocall making the rounds in Borough Park, where for several nights this week, protesters took to the streets, burned masks, assaulted bystanders and a journalist, and waved Trump 2020 flags in defiance of the governor's new restrictions.

“Come to 13th Avenue and hold big signs — ‘Cuomo killed thousands’ — as many as possible, as big as possible,” the voice on the robocall says. "The Trump campaign is urging us to hold as many and as big signs as possible. Please send this message around. Make it go viral.”

"Play it again, please," the governor ordered, and the recording was played for reporters again.

"Then there's a tweet, from Heshy Tischler," Cuomo continued, before reading a tweet from the agitator's account: "Urgent: Who can print 'Cuomo Hates Jews' and 'Cuomo Killed Thousands' on flags?"

"How ugly. How divisive. How poisonous. How disgusting. How hurtful. How painful," Cuomo said. "This is New York. That just showed solidarity and unity that was unprecedented for 7 months."

The governor added, "Some of those people will die. What's the Trump campaign saying? Play politics," Cuomo added. "It's disgusting."

No reporters asked if the governor had any proof of the Trump campaign directly coordinating with Tischler or others in Borough Park. In his videos and appearances, Tischler frequently teases a connection to the Trump campaign. In a tweet responding to the governor's accusation, Tischler claimed that the message the governor read "was not connected to any political campaign whatsoever."

“The Trump campaign had no involvement with this call," Samantha Zager, deputy national press secretary for the Trump campaign, wrote in an email. Zager did not respond when asked if the campaign has ever coordinated with Tischler.

The Governor's Office hasn't responded to our questions. The Cuomo administration was sued over its new rules this week by Orthodox Jewish organizations and a Catholic diocese.

Asked about the NYPD's unwillingness to stop the violence in Borough Park this week, which happened in full view of their officers, the governor said, "The law does not recognize political circumstances."

"Peaceful protest for the Hasidic community? Fine. You're beating a journalist? Criminal behavior."

Cuomo added, "NYPD, arrest people who are in the midst of criminal behavior. District Attorney: prosecute a person for criminal behavior."

After Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to rigorously enforce the new pandemic regulations in the hot zones on Thursday morning, the streets of Borough Park were largely quiet on Thursday night.

[UPDATE / 3:09 p.m.] Zack Fink of NY1 says he spoke with the person who made the robocall, and that the individual called it a "prank" that was unaffiliated with any party or individual.

Rich Azzopardi, who works in the Governor's Office, refused to believe it. "Don't buy it." he tweeted.

Morristown Medical Center is shown in Morristown, N.J., . Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tweeted that he's checked himself into a hospital, hours after he announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock

9:54 a.m. New Jersey is increasingly showing signs of a second coronavirus wave, with both cases and hospitalizations continuing to climb.

The state reported 1,301 new cases on Thursday, the biggest single-day increase in coronavirus cases since May.

“We are anticipating a second wave and are preparing based on lessons learned from our prior experiences,” said State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli during the state’s a briefing in Trenton.

Meanwhile, hospitalizations rose to 652, the highest it has been since early August. (On Saturday, former Governor Chris Christie checked himself into Morristown Medical Center as a precautionary measure after he tested positive for coronavirus. He has told friends he is doing fine.)

As of Sunday, the statewide positivity rate was 3.69%,

Similar to New York, New Jersey is battling several hotspots that are contributing to the bulk of new cases. Infections in the Ocean County township of Lakewood accounted for over 70% of the county’s 285 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.

The positivity rate in Lakewood has soared into the 20% range. Similar to parts of South Brooklyn and suburban counties in New York that are battling virus surges, the New Jersey township is overwhelming made up of Orthodox residents.

But in sharp contrast to Governor Andrew Cuomo, who this week drew condemnation from Jewish groups for his zoned shutdowns in four regional hotspots, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has been careful not to single out the community.

“There’s no room for even a speck of blaming that community or this community for what’s going on,” Murphy said last week, according to Politico.

Murphy said the state would work to drive down the spread of the virus while at the same time "defend with one thousand percent vigor every single community and their right, as long as it’s responsible, to do things like worship and pursue their faith."

“We have no tolerance for any amount, not a speck, that would creep into this finger-pointing stuff," he added.

But on Thursday, Murphy raised the possibility of ordering further restrictions in the township but was not specific about what types of closures or rollbacks the state was considering.

"What's on the table? I lean more scalpel than blunt instrument but they both have to be on the table," he said.

Tagged

covid-19 updates

coronavirus

Elizabeth Kim

Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

Christopher Robbins

Twitter

Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.

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