NEW YORK (JTA) — Two Hasidic Brooklyn neighborhoods that have been hard hit in the coronavirus pandemic have seen a sharp rise in people dying at home, according to a new data analysis.
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At-home deaths in Borough Park and Williamsburg in March and early April were more than 10 times higher than during the same period last year, the analysis of New York City data conducted by the news organization Gothamist concluded.
The analysis provides neighborhood-by-neighborhood insights about a disturbing citywide trend: In addition to the high death toll of confirmed coronavirus patients in this city’s hospitals, more New Yorkers are dying at home during the health crisis. Mayor Bill de Blasio had said it is reasonable to assume that most at-home deaths are attributable to COVID-19. Across the city, ProPublica found, at-home deaths have increased almost sixfold.
The city has not released Zip-code level data about those deaths, or any from COVID-19. But Gothamist used calls to the Fire Department for fatal cardiac arrests to shed light on where the at-home deaths are taking place.
In the area defined as “Borough Park, Kensington and Ocean Parkway,” the analysis found, there were 27 fatal cardiac arrest calls to the FDNY between March 1 and April 13, as opposed to just two during that period in 2019. The area defined as “Greenpoint and Williamsburg” had 16 calls this year as opposed to one last year.
That makes those neighborhoods, both home to large populations of Hasidic Orthodox Jews, two of the areas with the biggest increases in at-home deaths compared to last year. Other neighborhoods with high at-home death rates are Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, Jamaica and Astoria in Queens, and Washington Heights in Manhattan.
Borough Park and Williamsburg, along with the Orthodox Brooklyn neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Midwood, have had among the highest rates of the new coronavirus across the five boroughs, according to the New York City Department of Health. As of April 17, Borough Park has had more than 1,900 positive tests for the coronavirus, the fourth-highest number of any of the city’s Zip codes.
Motty Brauner, a member of Borough Park’s Shomrim, a volunteer Hasidic security patrol, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that requests have soared in recent weeks from callers seeking wellness checks on isolated relatives and friends. He said the callers want to make sure their loves ones have everything they need. If the Shomrim believes that an individual needs medical assistance, the patrol contacts Hatzolah, a Jewish emergency medical service.
Brauner related a case from April 5 in which the Shomrim was unable to reach a 50-year-old man. Upon finally being let into his apartment, the volunteers discovered that the man was dead. Brauner does not know for sure if the man died from COVID-19.
“It’s troubling to think about it,” he said. “It was difficult because we had to wait a day and a half until we were able to track down a family member to open the door.”
Brauner said the coronavirus appears to have “slowed down” in the neighborhood as residents have obeyed social distancing regulations. But he’s worried about another spike following the Passover holiday, which ended Thursday and is celebrated traditionally in large family gatherings.
“I’m a little bit concerned about what’s going to be in a week or two,” he said.
Headline wrong:
If the #s are based on 911 calls
Then its 100% not from the chasidish community
That goes for BP and Williamsburg
“But Gothamist used calls to the Fire Department for fatal cardiac arrests to shed light on where the at-home deaths are taking place.”
But is it not so much more likely that Hasidim call Hatzalah rather than NYFD/EMS?
Based on that, I don’t understand the basis of this piece.
yidden in bp & willy dont call FDNY , so the source of their data is way off -more accurate would be broadcastify although the conclusion makes sense that many yidden were trying to be treated at home once the hospitals were overloaded & petrified to go
the reason for these petirahs LO ALEINU in these areas because going to Maimonides is a ONE-WAY trip due to the NEGLECT of the hospital staff. we welcome all families to PUBLICIZE their stories of NEGLECT
If the Gothamist is going by FDNY numbers then they’re not talking about the Jewish community who calls Hatzalah exclusively.
Just keep on going to shuls and not wear masks, you’ll be fine.
Boro park has a minyan in almost every small shteeble and the mikvas are packed this will continue
Fake news. A total nothing burger.
This is a continuation of my last post. If it is indeed true the FDNY has more calls in Boro Park it is obviously not from our community. Then it must be from our Asian neighbors on the west of Boro Park or our Pakistani / Muslim neighbors to our north or our Italian / Irish neighbors to our south. The NY Pust should now really apologize to the Jewish community for the blood libel accusing us of infecting 11 firemen in the 12th avenue firehouse.
It doesn’t take too much to go through this story and find where there are questions to it.
First of all, If they’re trying to point out that the Jewish community has more people passing away at home, why would they use stats from 911? The Jewish community doesn’t call 911! They call hatzala!!
The second thing is that everyone needs to realize, the numbers are very very skewed. Right now, if somebody passes away, no matter what it was that they passed away from, suddenly they passed away from Corona. They could have passed away from the neglectful care they received at the hospital, but it’s still attributed to Corona. unfortunately, there’s probably no wait to figure out what the real numbers are.
Fake news
Not so fast .
When Cardiac arrest / Death occurs it’s quite possible Hatzola calls 911.
Just remember it was Cuomo who authorized the shut down of hospital in NY . Long Island College Hospital, Interfaith . Coney Island Hospital has been well below capacity since Sandy (Cuomo’s first term).
Hospitals in Queens and Staten Island have also been shuttered in the last ten years.
Now he’s Kvetching to Daddy Trump that he doesn’t have enough beds or ICUs .
Impeach Cuomo.
Anyone who denies the truth of this article is in denial and is also a complete tippish.
Hatzoloh is only authorized to provide emergency medical care and transportation. They are not permitted to transport dead persons anywhere. Under city law, a dead person cannot be moved until a city coroner examines the body and fills out a death certificate. Hatzoloh cannot do that. Dead persons are not taken to ordinary hospitals, they are taken to morgue-like facilities where they are kept until they can be buried R’L. Only a municipal agency can do that. It is similar to the abilities of the Shomrim as opposed to the NYPD. The Shomrim can perform security services, et al but are not authorized to enforce the law or arrest anyone.
How do I know this? When my father had a heart attack lying in his bed on a Shabbos afternoon, we called Hatzoloh. By the time they arrived, he had passed away. They immediately called the FDNY, who in turn contacted a city Coroner, who declared him as having died.
So your Hatzoloh arguments are completely invalid when it comes to death issues.