No UK Jewish Covid funerals in past week

There have been no new reports of Jewish funerals linked to Covid-19 for the first week since 23 March, the Board of Deputies said.

The Board of Deputies, which has been collating data from the community’s burial boards and communities, says the death toll remained at 508 as of last Friday, representing no increase since the previous week.

But the umbrella group suggested the number of Jewish funerals could be higher because some smaller communities do not report weekly information.

The organisation’s president Marie van der Zyl hailed the news as a “welcome milestone for the community” but urged members to continue to adhere to social distancing rules.

“This should strengthen our resolve to continue to take hand-washing seriously and follow social distancing guidance strictly,” she said.

“Our community has suffered disproportionately from the pandemic, and we must not slip back. Our thoughts continue to be with those families who have lost loved ones, and those who thankfully survived but must now live with the long-term effects of this terrible disease,” she added.