COVID-19 Digest: April 1

COVID-19 Digest: April 1

April 01, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Wednesday, April 1, 2020Tech:NYC’s COVID-19 resource guide is available here. It’s updated daily with the latest info from across the NYC tech sector. Please share this with your networks and encourage your colleagues to sign up here.If there are other topics or resources that would be helpful in future editions of this digest, please let us know here.

The Latest in New York

The latest: NYC playgrounds shut down; today’s Census Day poll; resources on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; tips for cleaning your clothes.Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 83,712 (+7,917)

  • New York City: 47,439 (+4,300)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 1,941 (+391)

  • Patients Discharged: 6,142 (+1,167)

General Updates:

  • Today is Census Day, which means that every household has now received its census code in the mail. (amNY) Take 10 minutes and complete your 2020 census online here. 

  • All NYC playgrounds will close due to a failure to comply with social distancing advisories. Gov. Cuomo’s announcement subsumed Mayor de Blasio’s move to shut down 10 playgrounds yesterday evening. (POLITICO)

  • Gov. Cuomo is directing schools statewide to cancel spring break and use the time to continue remote instruction. (New York Post) 

  • 82,000 people have enlisted in New York’s reserve force of medical workers, but vetting processes and bureaucracy have so far slowed getting them in the field. Gov. Cuomo indicated that will change, with 1,500 volunteers expected to be hired by hospitals by tomorrow. (AP)

  • See how people in your zip code are affected by the virus in this new map of NYC that displays the total count of COVID-19 cases based on patient address. (NYC Gov)

As the coronavirus spreads to other states, New Yorkers like Return Path founder Matt Blumberg are lending a hand. He’s leading a new innovation startup to prepare Colorado’s emergency response, and his daily blog updates are an illuminating read for anyone who wants to found a company. (h/t Fred Wilson)

Survey

Yesterday’s results: As New Yorkers continue to remain at home to the greatest extent possible (which the interim MTA president reemphasized you should do in this op-ed), we asked, on average, how many times are you getting out of your home each day?  

  • 44%: 0 times a day

  • 43.5%: 1 time a day

  • 12.1%: 2-3 times a day

  • 0.4%: 4 or more times a day

Today’s flash poll:

Today is

, a key reference date for assessing 2020 Census response levels so far. COVID-19 has made a complete count all the more important — it gives the government the information it needs to provide critical resources to hospitals, schools, and more. And this year, for the first time, you can complete it

. Have you completed your census form yet?

  • *|SURVEY: Yes|*

  • *|SURVEY: No|*

What You Need to Know

Families First Coronavirus Response Act:

Over the past two days, we’ve covered how the $2 trillion stimulus CARES Act will impact businesses and employees. The CARES Act, which was signed into law on Friday, was actually the third phase of the federal government's response to the pandemic. The first phase was the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, an $8.3 billion emergency funding bill designed to treat and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The second phase was the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), legislation offering targeted relief to individuals and businesses, including two weeks of paid sick leave for employees in quarantine and employer tax credits for leave. The FFCRA goes into effect today, and here are some resources for businesses navigating the newly effective law:

WORKPLACE TOOLS:

  • Holisticly: a calendar featuring free livestream classes for at-home workouts, from top studios like Equinox, Barry's Bootcamp, Box+Flow, RUMBLE, and more.

  • Jam: a tool that recommends and schedules groups of three for a conversation designed to encourage knowledge sharing across departments, offices, and tenure. Click here to get it for free for a month.

  • Notarum: offering free access to their workflow, collaboration, and analytics tools through May 30th for those WFH through May 30th. Reach out here for more details.

  • Techstars: a resource guide compiling fundraising, legal, and business advice from across their network.

  • tellic: offering scientists and researchers free access to its AI tool to accelerate COVID-19 research. 

  • Reminder: Tech:NYC’s COVID-19 resource guide is available here.

  • Request: please let us know as your work-from-home policies are extended or what plans your companies have as they are reassessed. Sharing this information is helpful to companies and employees across the NYC ecosystem and can be kept anonymous.

  • Read: A tutorial on how to make your own fabric face mask from common household materials. (New York Times)

POLICY:

  • Despite working through the night, the New York State Legislature and Governor did not meet last night’s budget deadline. As of this morning, state leaders have struck a tentative deal and it is expected there will be a final budget agreement soon. (New York Post)

  • Until the budget is finalized, roughly half of the state’s 258,000 employees will be without a check. (New York Daily News) 

  • The New York State Department of Labor is undertaking a number of steps to better manage the surge of unemployment claims. (NY State of Politics)

EVENTS:

  • April 2: Webinar: The Broader Economic Impact of COVID-19, with Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz. Hosted by Savills. (Details)

  • April 2: Webinar: The Economy Under COVID-19, with former U.S. Department of Labor and Commerce leaders. Hosted by FiscalNote. (Details) 

  • April 3: Webinar: Leadership During a Public Health Crisis, with Hon. Kathleen Sebelius and Hon. Michael Nutter. Hosted by Elucd. (Details)

  • April 6: Virtual: Building Startups, Teams, and Early Stage VC, with Primary Ventures. Hosted by Stacklist. Use code ONWARD to get 30% off. (Details)

  • April 7: Webinar: Legislative Perspective on the Coronavirus Pandemic, with Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and State Senator Gustavo Rivera. Hosted by City & State. (Details)

Doing laundry during the pandemic:

  • A very thorough Q&A on how you should do laundry during the pandemic. (New York Times)

  • Laundromats are considered essential businesses and still open in NYC, so if you need to go, here’s how to protect yourself while you’re there. (Bustle)

  • Some stats on how long coronavirus lives on clothes, and how to wash them. (HuffPost)

  • Some simple steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while doing laundry, especially if you have someone at home who is sick or high-risk. (Consumer Reports)

  • Apparently, some of you never learned about “inside clothes.” (Refinery29)

When In Doubt

Check these sources for verified information from government agencies and public health authorities: