The hypocrisy from the Left during the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic has been glaring. When conservatives around the country started protesting draconian lockdown orders, they were accused of being superspreaders who were going to kill everyone in their communities. Then George Floyd was killed in police custody and everything changed overnight. All of a sudden, Democratic leaders flouted many of their own orders on limits to the size of outdoor gatherings, marching arm in arm with thousands of people to protest police brutality. Since then, their credibility has gone out the window.
Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Democratic leaders in New York from targeting religious communities, particularly Orthodox Jews. Back in June, the Department of Justice took NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to task for threatening to permanently shut down houses of worship. And a federal judge ruled de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo violated the Constitution by restricting religious services while at the same time condoning mass protests.
Apparently, Cuomo learned absolutely nothing.
With spikes in coronavirus cases happening in parts of New York, the governor threatened on Monday to close schools and religious institutions if they continue to violate orders.
Most of the neighborhoods targeted by the restrictions are home to part of the city's large Orthodox Jewish community, where many religious schools resumed in-person instruction in early September, and where large religious gatherings have continued to occur, despite rules limiting attendance at such events.
Cuomo warned that he will shut down temples and churches, too, if compliance with social distancing rules doesn't improve.
"If you do not agree to follow the rules, then we will close the institutions down. I am prepared to do that," Cuomo said.
New York City, overall, continues to see the virus spread at relatively low levels compared to much of the rest of the country, but a handful of areas in Brooklyn and Queens have seen infection rates rising.
The nine ZIP codes singled out for restrictions have been responsible for more than 20% of all new infections in the city over the past four weeks, though they represent only 7% of the population. (Star Tribune)
Sharing images of Hasidic Jews, @NYGovCuomo threatens to shutdown religious institutions: "We know religious institutions have been a problem … If you do not agree to enforce the rules, then we will close the institutions down. I am prepared to do that." pic.twitter.com/vn3BgxPTPh
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 5, 2020