Police have been called to Stamford Hill to try to stop a small number of people within the Charedi community continuing to meet to pray.

Despite an order from the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations to close synagogues last Monday evening following new measures imposed by the government to stop the spread of Coronavirus, some men appear to have met for outdoor minyanim during the week.

A blogger under the name of Debz22971 tweeted a short video apparently showing an outdoor minyan taking place over the weekend in Stamford Hill.

She said the police came round later that evening.

The Charedi blogger IfYouTickleUs also posted a photo on Monday morning showing police visiting a synagogue in Stamford Hill.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Sunday they had “become aware of small number of religious meetings in Stamford Hill”.

A force spokesperson said officers “are engaged with the community and are encouraging them to follow the government’s very clear instruction, which is to stay at home… This precludes gatherings of more than two people and includes places of worship.” 

But the Met said it would not reveal places or times of incidents.

On Saturday, Hackney Police tweeted that key social distancing measures incuding stopping all social events “including religious services and gatherings”.

The Stamford Hill branch of Shomrim, the strictly Orthodox volunteer patrol group, has tweeted a video warning from local Jewish GP Joseph Horowitz, “Stay at home. Do not go out.”

Shomrim said the Covid-19 crisis had put a “phenomenal strain” on the NHS and the Jewish emergency medical service Hatzola. “Hundreds of our community are very unwell and sadly many have now passed away.”

A letter circulated by Jewish doctors at the end of last week warned against outdoor minyanim, saying that “a disproportionate number of the Jewish community” had been hospitalised in a serious condition.

In Israel, one of the most prominent Charedi rabbis, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, from the Lithuanian community, urged followers to pray alone and not attend a minyan.