Coronavirus

New COVID-19 Restrictions Draw Ire From Orthodox Community In Brooklyn

New York officials re-impose restrictions, infuriating some Orthodox Jewish residents during a religious observance.

New COVID-19 Restrictions Draw Ire From Orthodox Community In Brooklyn
John Minchillo / AP
SMS

This was the angry reaction in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn's Borough Park after New York re-imposed restrictions in the neighborhood to combat a spike in COVID-19 infections. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered new lockdown measures in limited hot spots for new cases. And Mayor Bill de Blasio designated 9 city ZIP codes for closing non-essential businesses, banning in-restaurant dining and limiting attendance at religious gatherings.

Since Oct. 1, the rate of positive COVID-19 tests jumped to 18 percent in some Brooklyn neighborhoods, more than four times the citywide average. But the new restrictions infuriated many in Borough Park. Some complained they undercut religious freedoms as they were celebrating a Jewish tradition known as the Feast of Tabernacles.

Contains footage from CNN.