New Rochelle Rabbi Tests Positive For Coronavirus

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A rabbi with ties to the first Westchester County family diagnosed with new coronavirus has also tested positive for the virus. Rabbi Reuven Fink tested positive for the virus after recently self-quarantining himself because of contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, according to an alert on the Yeshiva University website.

Fink, who teaches two undergraduate classes at the university's Washington Heights campus, leads the Young Israel of New Rochelle congregation. That's the synagogue attended by the New Rochelle lawyer who is hospitalized in Manhattan and is at the heart of a complicated trail of confirmed casesof what is officially called COVID-19.

The lawyer's wife, daughter and son (who attends the university) tested positive, as did the neighbor who drove him to the hospital, as did a good friend and that man's family.

Schools including Yeshiva University, the Hastings and Mount Vernon school districts, SAR Academy and Westchester Torah Academy closed Thursday and Friday after learning that a few students had either tested positive or been exposed to someone who was contagious.

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College officials, who canceled classes earlier this week, said Friday they have taken more precautions since learning about the professor's diagnosis.

"We have reached out to his students and recommended as a precautionary measure to self-quarantine until further notice," President Dr. Ari Berman said in the alert. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Rabbi Fink for a full and speedy recovery."

So far, there are 122 people under investigation for the virus in the entire state and 24 cases are pending results, according to the state Department of Health. A total of 22 New York residents have tested positive, most in Westchester County.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said current symptoms reported for people with COVID-19 include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing. The virus is spreading from person to person, and someone sickened with the virus can spread the illness to others, medical officials said.

There is no vaccine to prevent the new coronavirus. Health officials said the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus, though the CDC recommends preventive actions to help avoid spreading respiratory diseases, such as:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Stay home if sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue away
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using regular household cleaning spray or wipes

Patch Editor Anna Quinn contributed to this report.

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