Rabbi Kanievsky recovers from coronavirus - report

Following Kanievsky's recovery, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the rabbi's household and spoke to his grandson, 30-year-old Yanki Kanievsky.

By TOBIAS SIEGAL
Rabbi Haim Kanievsky takes part in a Rabbi Conference for the foundation for Ultra Orthodox Jews, partners in the Torah, on January 23, 2016 (photo credit: YAAKOV COHEN/FLASH90)
Rabbi Haim Kanievsky takes part in a Rabbi Conference for the foundation for Ultra Orthodox Jews, partners in the Torah, on January 23, 2016
(photo credit: YAAKOV COHEN/FLASH90)
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the 92-year-old haredi (ultra-Orthodox) leader who contracted coronavirus earlier in October, has recovered according to his doctor, The Jerusalem Post’s sister publication Maariv reported on Wednesday.
Dr. Ori Rogowski, who has been treating the rabbi since his diagnosis, said on Wednesday that Kanievsky has completely recovered and is in good condition, the report indicated.
Following the publications of Kanievsky’s recovery, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the rabbi’s household and spoke to his grandson, 30-year-old Yanki Kanievsky.
“We were happy to hear about the rabbi’s recovery,” Netanyahu told Yanki, who replied by saying that “it’s important for the rabbi that people study Torah.”
However, Yanki emphasized that “the whole idea of calling for a rebellion was a distortion by the media,” adding that “the rabbi has constantly instructed people to maintain the guidelines and to wear masks.”
Kanievsky’s illness was announced on the day before Sukkot, a day after he and his colleague Rabbi Gershon Edelstein had disseminated a letter calling on the haredi public to adhere to Health Ministry guidelines over the holiday.
Kanievsky also had said people should be tested on the interim days of Sukkot because being screened for coronavirus is pikuach nefesh, the equivalent of saving a life.
Maayan Hoffman contributed to this report.