We are witnessing a rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus within our communities and have been advised by medical experts repeatedly that there are actions and inactions going on that significantly impact the speed and rates of illness and death.

COVID-19 is extremely contagious and can be deadly for the elderly, immunocompromised, or people with certain medical conditions. There are now cases of even younger healthy individuals in the ICU as well. The virus can be spread by persons who do not exhibit any symptoms! Just because you don’t seem to have symptoms does not mean you are not infecting others. People are unwittingly infecting others on a regular basis!

There is an abundance of bad information being sent around various chat and social media outlets, where people are sharing and giving each other all kinds of bad advice. The only medical information that should be taken seriously is that from the CDC and other health agencies.

EXAMPLE: According to the WHO and CDC, there is no scientific evidence to support the rumor that sunshine or warmer climate kills this virus!

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While only a handful of confirmed cases within our community locally and elsewhere have been made public, there are many more cases and the numbers continue to increase daily, including many who are critically ill and on ventilators in the ICU. It is highly probable that you have already come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and are therefore a potential carrier. It is therefore imperative to follow the recommendation of the CDC to self-isolate to slow the spread of the virus.

Rabbonim from every community around the world including here in South Florida, have issued clear rulings that it is a Halachic obligation to follow and comply with all of the guidelines and recommendations set by the CDC and other health agencies across the country.

Pesach is around the corner and although it is normally a time for families to come together as many do here in South Florida, especially in the Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando areas, this year is different.

South Florida has a significant senior community and this demographic is among the most vulnerable to this virus. All medical experts agree that traveling will undoubtedly worsen the crisis and continue to put all of our communities at greater risk. Please avoid traveling to Florida during this crisis because by doing so you will be putting this already vulnerable community at greater risk. Our medical facilities and hospitals will be stressed beyond capacity and we anticipate our resources being depleted rapidly. Our community may be left without adequate hospital care.

We implore you to take this seriously and stay home in your communities where you and your family will be safer and you will not infect other people.

In the merit of adhering to these requests, may we all share in only Bracha and a Refuah to all those in need.

This urgent message is endorsed by the following Rabbonim and medical professionals:

HaRav Dovid Feinstein
Rabbi Kalman Baumann
Rabbi Arye Bensinger
Rabbi Donald Bixon
Rabbi Chaim Freidman
Rabbi Laivi Forta
Rabbi Yosef Galimidi
Rabbi Yaakov Gibber
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
Rabbi Yaakov Gross
Rabbi Moshe Gruenstein
Rabbi Daniel Hadar
Rabbi Yisroel Janowski
Rabbi Yosef Konikov
Rabbi Benjy Korf
Rabbi David Lehrfield
Rabbi Sholom Lipskar
Rabbi Avraham Lipszyc
Rabbi Yossi Marlow
Rabbi Moshe Matz
Rabbi Tzvi Neuhaus
Rabbi Shaya Richmond
Rabbi Mendel Rosenfeld
Rabbi Efraim Shapiro
Rabbi Leibel Shapiro
Rabbi Yosef Weinstock
Rabbi Eliezer Wolf
Rabbi Dovid Yosef
Rabbi Yochanan Zweig
Rabbi Yitzy Zweig
Dr Yonah Bardos
Dr Mauricio Bitran
Dr Ari Ciment
Dr Jonathan Fields
Dr Gershon Fink
Dr Jared Friedman
Dr Marc Gibber
Dr Yoram Gutfreund
Dr Daniel Heller
Dr PK Koenigsburg
Dr Ari Lamet
Dr Amiel Levine
Dr Susan Lurie
Dr Leon Melnitsky
Dr Yoram Padeh
Dr Leonard Pianko
Dr Jay Reinberg
Dr Damon Saltzman
Dr Yankie Silverstone
Dr Brocha Tarshish
Dr Daniel Wolfson
Dr Raphael Yechieli

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)