Coronavirus clusters in Stamford Hill area

HACKNEY COUNCIL has confirmed two clusters of coronavirus cases in Stamford Hill involving “very small numbers of people”.

It did not give details but according to social media, a number of students at one yeshivah had tested positive for the virus.

Last week, girls at two Charedi schools were found to have contracted Covid-19.

Dr Sandra Husbands, director of Public Health City and Hackney said: “Our data shows that there are two known clusters of positive coronavirus cases in Stamford Hill. Currently these involve very small numbers of people. To keep the area safe, protect lives and prevent a potential local lockdown, we are doing all we can to communicate the issue to local residents and remind them of the importance of following the guidelines around the virus.”

A pupil at the state-aided Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls’ School tested positive for coronavirus last week.

The “bubble” of eight girls of which she was part were now staying at home for two weeks, the council said.

The state-aided Lubavitch boys’ and girls’ primary schools in Stamford Hill were closed on Monday and

Tuesday last week after a girl also tested positive.

They reopened on the Wednesday following “a deep clean”, Hackney said.

In April, Yesodey Hatorah lost its longstanding principal, Rabbi Avrohom Pinter, who died after contracting Covid-19.

Notices were circulated around London’s Charedi community last week urging members to remain cautious.

One from Hatzola, the Jewish medical emergency service, said there had been “a rising number of community members testing positive for Covid-19”.

One possible reason was “the many recent visitors from areas where the virus is still rampant”.

While there had been “no new hospitalisations or severe cases, definitive and preventative immediate action needs to be taken now to keep the virus at bay and avoid a second spike”.

A second notice from a group called Kehilla NW reported a “small number of Covid cases within the London kehilla [community]”.

Cases of the virus should be reported to the group’s Covid-19 hotline “at the request of local rabbonim and doctors”, it said.

People were reminded to keep a safe distance from others, wash hands regularly and avoid large crowds.

Since July 4, it has been permissible to have wedding ceremonies with up to 30 people present and hold communal services inside places of worship.

Meanwhile, the Board of Deputies reported two further deaths within the UK Jewish community from the disease over the week ending July 10.

This brings the recorded total of British Jewish fatalities from Covid-19 to 504.

There have been visitors from areas where the virus is rampant’