Frum docs warn: Don’t rush minyanim

Three-hundred-fifty physicians self-identified as shomrei Torah and mitzvot have signed a statement imploring “all fellow Jews to continue strict adherence to isolation guidelines WITHOUT exceptions.”

“It is our unanimous medical opinion that prematurely loosening the restrictions is highly likely to result in further disease transmission and loss of life,” the doctors said in the statement that was first reported by Yeshiva World News.

“We must remind everyone that COVID-19 can be transmitted asymptomatically and that those who have had COVID-19 may be contagious for weeks, even after resolution of all symptoms.

“In addition, people who have had COVID-19 may NOT be immune. Any outing from the home must be limited to essential needs and performed with the strictest social distancing regulations. The prohibition on all forms of group gatherings including simchos, levayos, and minyanim must remain in place.”

The doctors concluded that they “understand the difficulty that these guidelines impose. These temporary measures are not easy to follow, but are medically necessary and life-saving. In the coming weeks, new information and advancements will become available which we hope will allow for loosening of restrictions, as the concerns for pikuach nefesh allow.”

The full statement, and the signators, appears on TheJewishStar.com.

Israeli’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi also issued a strong statement on minyanim. Click here.