Ahead of Shavuot, Cuomo to allow prayer gatherings of up to 10 people
The news comes days after Cuomo teased a relaxation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions ahead of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and is similar to the relaxations he made for Memorial Day ceremonies.
By AARON REICHHasidic Jewish men gather for a morning prayer outside of a synagogue, closed due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, New York(photo credit: REUTERS)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that religious gatherings of up to 10 people can resume starting Thursday, though participants must still wear masks and maintain social distancing, the New York Post reported.The news comes days after Cuomo teased a relaxation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions ahead of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and is similar to the relaxations he made for Memorial Day ceremonies.“When people are so anxious and so confused, I think those religious ceremonies can be very comforting,” Cuomo said on Wednesday, according to the New York Post. “But we need to find out how to do it and do it safely and do it smartly.”When asked if he could consider raising the number to 14 people for Jewish communities, as a minyan requires 10 people minimum, Cuomo said that “It’s complicated to set one number for one religion, another number for [another faith]. Then I’ll have the Roman Catholics say, ‘How come they get 14? I don’t get 14.'”Cuomo said that the state's Interfaith Advisory Council will help guide the policy going forward, as religious ceremonies can be potential hotspots for spreading the virus, the New York Post reported.“The last thing we want to do is have a religious ceremony that winds up having more people infected,” he said.“We know from New Rochelle, Westchester, the first hot spot, that religious ceremonies can be very dangerous.”The coronavirus outbreak has hit the US harder than any other country in the world, with over 91,000 people dying from the virus. The New York metropolitan area has been the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country, with the highest amount of cases nationwide.
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