The New York State Department of Health said it was investigating a Hasidic wedding planned for New York State territory on Monday night in a synagogue where crowds were seen gathering without masks and no social distance was practiced.
Officials were so concerned about the incident, which was originally held at the Yetev Lev Synagogue in the Kiyras Joel Congregation in Orange County, that an order to suspend and leave was issued to Satu Mare sect leaders a few hours before it was due to leave. Nevertheless, a steady flow of bearded men in black hats were seen gathering in the huge synagogue around the originally planned date of the event.
“Our order issued Monday morning was clear: Corporate gatherings must follow strict protocols regarding capacity constraints, wearing masks and social distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” a New York Department of Health spokesman said. said The Daily Beast. “We are aware that a rally has been held and we are investigating whether the guidelines set out in the order have been followed. If not, we will take all appropriate remedies. “
The news of the probe came a day after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a small $ 15,000 fine for another potential supra-scattering wedding, also organized by the Satmar Hasidic community in Brooklyn, which attracted thousands of people earlier this month.
In a video of the wedding in Williamsburg, people barely danced and sang in masks and clearly violated the public health restrictions of COVID-19.
“We know it was a wedding,” the mayor said at Inside City Hall Monday night on NY1. “We know it was too big. I don’t have an exact number, but whatever it was, it was too big. There seemed to be a real effort to keep it a secret. Which is absolutely unacceptable. “
“They will be invited to this site immediately for $ 15,000 and there could be additional consequences,” de Blasio added.
The potential deterrent effect of such a modest fine on an allegedly thousands of gatherings – against the so-called third wave of the national coronavirus epidemic – remained visible.
The ordinance on Monday’s planned wedding of two members of prominent ultra-Orthodox families called on the congregation to “cancel wedding ceremonies unless they can be strictly adhered to, under safe social segregation protocols”.
He also tried to prevent groups of more than 50 people from gathering at the same time. But large crowds appeared in the synagogue, originally planned to hold the wedding, which together exceed that number. The rumor that the wedding events were ultimately not held on the spot complicated the picture, but at least some of the apparent participants posting on social media, it suggested it had happened.
Synagogue spokesman Governor Andrew Cuomo and the State Police did not respond to the request for an opinion, and much of Monday was spent by state bodies on who is responsible for ordering a ceasefire and abandonment.
“When we found out about the wedding the night before the incident, we immediately notified the state and asked the Secretary of State for Health to issue an order,” a spokesman for the Orange County County Department of Health said.
“Since then, we have been in constant contact with the Department of Health and the State Police. The State Department of Health has issued the suspension and abandonment order and has jurisdiction over any related violations. We will continue to monitor this situation closely during navigation in a public health emergency. “
