During a roundtable discussion with leaders of the Jewish community in Lakewood, NJ, Governor Phil Murphy announced he was avoiding placing the county on lockdown or labeling it a coronavirus hotspot.
According to a report that appeared in NJ.com, the governor, who has attacked individuals for violating COVID-19 guidelines, has taken a "soft" stance on the Lakewood community; home to one of the largest yeshivas and fastest-growing haredi populations in the U.S.
During the discussion last Friday, Murphy called for state residents to come together, saying: “We are all one New Jersey family, and that runs counter to the notion that we’re all in this together. Secondly, the practicality of it is beyond real feasibility. And thirdly, there are other steps that we can take and we are taking that we believe will address this.” “…Everybody needs to take this very seriously…not just in this county but everywhere,” said the governor, pointing out that the whole country has seen an uptick in virus cases.
The governor called for increased virus testing, tracing procedures, and awareness campaigns to prevent the county from being forced into lockdown. Some media sources have voiced doubt regarding Murphy's sincerity, claiming he has been pushed by Jewish leaders to keep the county open.
The governor said there was “no room for even a speck of blaming that community or this community for what’s going on.”
“I believe with all my heart we can achieve that balance — that we can both be factual about where the hotspots are and what we need to do to drive them to the ground but also defend with 1,000% vigor every single community and their right, as long as it’s responsible, to do things like worship and pursue their faith," said the senator.
Duvi Honig, founder and CEO of Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, voiced fears of an anti-Semitic backlash following the announcement.
“When we have increased testing, our numbers are higher,” he said. “But we’re doing increased testing to stay safe, not to show the media and be misrepresented that our numbers are much higher. It can increase the challenge of anti-Semitism," he said.