I lived in a Brooklyn neighborhood densely populated by Hasidim for years and this is unfortunately not the first time something like this has happened.[0] The highly insular community means misinformation is hard to combat. This quote is pertinent:

> ”Being a religious Jew, you also get used to having a minority viewpoint,” said Alexander Rapaport, the CEO of the Masbia Soup Kitchen Network in Brooklyn, and a public face of the Hasidic community. “So if something is not mainstream, it doesn’t take you away from believing it.”

[0] https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/11/9/18068036/me...