Orthodox rabbinic authorities are facing calls to close mikvaot during the current crisis.

A Jewish GP was so angry at mikvaot remaining open that she reported it to the police, while a Jewish public health consultant said it was safer to shut them even if they were not high-risk.

Both the United Synagogue and the Sephardi Beth Din issued guidelines — also approved by Office of the Chief Rabbi and the London Beth Din — for extra precautions to be taken by women using mikvaot.

The Sephardi Beth Din told members of the community: “Health authorities worldwide have advised that immersing in a mikveh is safe, provided that the mikveh is properly operated, maintained and disinfected. 
“Included in this is the proper maintenance of the chlorine/bromine levels in the mikveh pool, cleaning and disinfection of all areas of the mikveh, and separation between all those attending the mikveh.”

The GP, who did not wish to be named but was from a Progressive Jewish background, said she was “utterly horrified that mikvaot aren’t closed”.

With Jews dying at an “unprecedented rate” given their proportion of the national population, “what could be more of an emergency?” she asked.

“The rabbis aren’t showing leadership, they are putting congregants at risk.”

She said when she contacted the police, she was told it was not a matter for them.

The public health professional, who also did not want to be named but belongs to an Orthodox community, said it would be “far safer if all mikvaot were closed”.

Although the guidance for mikvaot was intended to make them as “safe as possible”, he did not believe the risk worth taking.

“I am not trying to say that, in itself, it is a high-risk activity and if all the guidance that has been created… is followed, yes it would be a low-risk procedure, but you’ve still got to get to the place. We can’t be assured that the women and the staff would be properly trained.”

Women have been advised to make appointments to attend a mikveh to minimise the possibility of contact with others and to stay away if either they or a member of their families have been unwell in the previous fortnight.

They have also been told to bring their own towels and not to shower at the mikveh.

Mikveh attendants have been told to clean door handles, handrails and other areas thoroughly between women.

The Sephardi guidelines say that women visiting a mikveh should “minimise their time”, while the OCR specifies that they should no spend no more than quarter of an hour in the building.

The Sephardi Beth Din, which said it had consulted a world expert in mikveh hygiene as well as local doctors, has since approved updated guidelines specifying that women with certain conditions such as asthma should not attend the mikveh.