Yeshiva Students Test Positive Following Jerusalem Prayer Service

Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel are now worried after witnessing a surge in the coronavirus cases. The threat of a large scale outbreak has authorities at their wits’ end. Various strategies and measures are being designed by both Palestinian and Israeli authorities. They hope to curb the rising numbers of the virus and mitigate the economic ramifications that it will bring. 

As of now, Israel has at least 72,399 cases that are active. 1,622 people have lost their lives to the virus. Gaza has recorded 1,397 active cases along with 22 deaths. On the other hand, the West Bank has lost 357 people to the virus whereas, 7,286 people continue to battle with it. 

Israeli Druze Village Hostel Shuts Down

The Yarka local council provided reports about thirty-three tenants of a hostel in the Druze Village of Israel who have tested positive for the virus. The hostel, for people with disabilities, has also placed 18 other people in quarantine. 

The facility has, therefore, been sealed to protect the people residing inside and coming in from outside. The Yarka council also informed that 110 tenants currently live in the hostel. Their age lies somewhere between 7 and 40. 

Along with the residents, as many as 22 staffers have also contracted the virus. 

Seeing the rise in cases, the management of the hostel sat down with the council to make a decision about keeping the facility operational. They have decided to close the facility for two weeks. 53 of residents who have nowhere else to go, will be allowed to live in the hostel. They will be taken care of by eight available staffers. 

More than 1,000 Yeshiva Students Contract the Virus

Following the Rosh Hashana prayer service which was held at a synagogue in the Ger Hasidic sect, many students have contracted the virus. More than 1,100 students were present in the prayer. 

Just last week, reports of 260 people of the Ulta-Orthodox group testing positive for the virus, had surfaced. After that, however, hundreds were diagnosed. 

Various students had already returned home to their families to celebrate the Jewish New Year. It was later that they discovered that they could have contracted the virus. News of the infection in Beit Midrash has the attendees and participants worried about the health of their families. All those who had been present were called on to get tested for the virus. More than 1,000 new cases were thus, recorded.