Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Three Men From NYC's Orthodox Communities Die From COVID-19 Amid Concerns Of Alarming Virus Uptick

By

Jen Chung

Published Sep 26, 2020

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Hasidic New Yorkers without masks cross the street in Borough Park

 

Jake Dobkin / Gothamist

By

Jen Chung

Published Sep 26, 2020

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

New York City's health department continue to raise alarms about communities in south Brooklyn and northeast Queens that have escalating COVID-19 positivity rates. And those positive cases are now translating into hospitalizations.

Many of the communities have large Orthodox Jewish populations. Three Orthodox men have died at Maimonides Hospital in south Brooklyn over four days, according to a source close to the community.

"While the most expansive growth is generally occurring in these areas in Brooklyn and Queens, viruses do not respect boundaries and unchecked case growth in one part of the city can affect others," the NYC Department of Health said in a press release. "We are starting to see early warning signals in neighborhoods surrounding the ZIP codes above, particularly in southern Brooklyn and northeast Queens."

The south Brooklyn cases—referred to by the city as the "Ocean Parkway Cluster"—have positivity rates well above the city's average of 1.08% and over 3%, NYC's citywide threshold for closing schools. The neighborhoods include:

The Queens communities with high rates are:

The DOH is also monitoring Williamsburg, which has a lower positivity rate, 1.55%, but the increase in cases has been higher than in other parts of the city.

Jake Dobkin / Gothamist

The health department noted in a press release sent on Friday that they were concerned about "an uptick in the number of hospitalized patients in at least one hospital in southern Brooklyn. With COVID-19, increases in hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions generally follow an increase in cases."

On Tuesday night, the city announced that they were monitoring these neighborhoods; by Thursday night, the city revealed they would start inspecting schools and threatened to roll back the sizes of indoor gatherings (to no more than 10 people) and close non-essential businesses if cases continue to increase. The DOH announced on Friday they would fine schools $1,000 if they do not comply with things like wearing face masks; social distancing; cooperating with contact tracers; and developing protocols for opening and closing schools with COVID cases.

Public health officials have been worried about the spread of COVID-19 in the Orthodox community, which was hit hard by the pandemic. Hundreds of Hasids died in the early weeks, and the police dispersed large funerals where mourners were not socially distancing. However, the community has felt unfairly targeted, especially after Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized one funeral, which apparently had been coordinated with the NYPD.

The men who died at Maimonides Hospital died "within hours of arriving at the hospital too sick to be saved," according to the NY Post. A source told the Post that the men were not all elderly, adding, "There’s rampant COVID denialism and misinformation abound in the community. People are not getting tested and are refusing care even when sick. This is deeply distressing."

Members of the Orthodox community in Borough Park were seen largely without masks this week; there are some beliefs in the Orthodox community that they have achieved herd immunity because of all the cases in the spring. However, during a press conference in Gravesend on Friday, Dr. Mitchell Katz, president of the city's public health system, emphasized, "We know that no area of New York City has herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when more than 80 percent of people are immune and that protects everyone."

The press conference was interrupted by Orthodox men, who refused to wear masks, accused one public health official of being a "Nazi storm trooper," and made racist remarks about Black people. One of the men said Katz, who is Jewish and grew up in Ocean Parkway, was lying, "You can’t say stuff without proof. Aren’t you embarrassed what you’re doing to your brothers and sisters?"

While the city is intensifying outreach efforts—speaking to synagogues and medical providers in the community; robocalls; placing ads in newspapers; mask distribution; broadcasting messages in Yiddish and English—lawmakers faulted the city for ignoring the community and their needs until the last moment.

"This may be the most precarious position with COVID-19 we have experienced in months, and we must immediately take action to protect our communities," Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city's Health Commissioner, said.

Tagged

COVID-19

pandemic

coronavirus

borough park

brooklyn

orthodox community

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks

A bill facing a hearing Monday would require cooling tower owners to notify city health officials when bacteria levels reach a much lower threshold.

By

Catalina Gonella

Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:36 p.m. ET

Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church

Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.

By

Giulia Heyward

News

Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church

Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.

By

Giulia Heyward

Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law

By

Gino Fanelli

NYPD identifies Bronx man, 26, killed in Midtown subway shooting

By

Ryan Kost

,

Elizabeth Kim

and

Phil Corso

Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home

By

Ryan Kost

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .