WASHINGTON (VINnews/Sandy Eller)- The nation’s coronavirus czar expressed her support for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s newest round of restrictions that have sparked waves of outrage in the Orthodox Jewish community, advising area residents to think outside the shtetl.

“We are in a community together,” said Dr. Deborah Birx, talking to reporters at a roundtable conference held Wednesday at Long Island’s Stony Brook University. “No one group lives in isolation.”

Birx’s remarks came in response to last night’s protests in Borough Park, reported the New York Post and a clear directive to consider how a lack of social distancing might affect other people.

“I think that community needs to understand they’re within the United States, in a community of others and it’s our job to protect one another by doing what we need to do to ensure others stay safe and to ensure we don’t spread the virus to others,” said Birx.

State governors and mayors have the full support of the White House when it comes to making decisions that affect area residents, explained Birx, noting that local officials are best suited to understanding the needs of their constituents. A longtime health official with decades of experience in preventing the spread of HIV, Birx acknowledged that social distancing is difficult but crucial.

“I know that’s hard, [and] it’s particularly hard in social gatherings when we come together, but if you have your mask off and you are indoors, there could be virus spreading and so really figuring out how you [are] physically distant and ensure people are safe,” said Birx.

Birx reported that the latest spike appears to be driven by family parties and communal gatherings but does not appear to be as vicious as the first surge of the pandemic. According to the New York Post, Birx said that shutting down places of work will not stop the pandemic and that having people limiting themselves to tight social circles is the key to curbing the current COVID wave.

As reported by Vos Iz Neias