Agudath Israel Attorney Avrohom Weinstock Brings Proof of Red Zone Inequity

Avrohom Weinstock, a lawyer and the chief of staff of Agudath Israel of America, reported that while Boro Park was put in a red zone in October and November of 2020, the COVID positivity rates were much higher in at least three other areas in New York state, which were inexplicably deemed yellow and orange zones.

On Oct. 23, 2020, for example, when Brooklyn was deemed a red zone, the borough showed a 4.57% COVID positivity rate, while Chemung County, NY, which former Gov. Andrew Cuomo called an orange zone, showed a staggering 8.13% positivity rate, Weinstock reported in Ami Magazine.

Broome and Steuben Counties, which were both named yellow zones, on the same day, stood at 6.30% and 4.65%, respectively, Weinstock said of the statistics he sent Avi Schick, Agudah’s lead attorney, who successfully fought Cuomo’s restrictions against in the US Supreme Court and other, lower courts.  

Gov. Cuomo first announced the red zones on Oct. 6, which was chol ha’moed Sukkos, and shuls were labeled “unessential,” and regardless of size, were restricted to 10 to 25 mispallim, while stores that sold liquor and bicycles were called “essential” and did not assign limits to shoppers.