COVID-19 Digest: April 13

COVID-19 Digest: April 13

April 13, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Monday, April 13, 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: The worst is over, says Gov. Cuomo; Northeast forms multi-state economic partnership; resources to understand a suffering USPS; quarantine hobbies or lack thereof. Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 195,031 (+35,094)

  • New York City: 106,763 (+19,735)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 10,056 (+2,989)

*New confirmed case counts are in the aggregate as of our last digest. 

General Updates:

  • The worst is over for New York, according to Gov. Cuomo. The state’s hospitalization rate continues to decrease, and the governor said the healthcare system is successfully controlling the spread. (New York Post)

  • The governors of NY, NJ, CT, RI, PA, DE, and MA announced a coordinated “working group” aimed at resuming commerce in the region. The group will have economic, health, and political representatives from each state. (CNBC) This comes after Pres. Trump declared only he can decide to reopen the country. (POLITICO)

  • Apple and Google are teaming up to make contact tracing more accurate and accessible by programming it directly into your phone’s OS. This will help both users and public health agencies better understand the spread of the disease. (The Verge)

  • A coalition of New York business advocates – including Tech:NYC – outlined a pandemic recovery plan for the city and state that hinges on extended loan forgiveness and other debt relief measures. (NY State of Politics)

  • One fun thing: new virtual backgrounds for your phone, desktop, and video chat from Central Park! (Details)

Survey

Today’s flash poll: Over the past month, Americans have become increasingly reliant on shipping providers for the safe delivery of essential goods. Simultaneously, the USPS has begun to sound the alarm that without additional government support it will soon be insolvent, resulting in delays in mail and package delivery. Have you been able to send and/or receive mail on an expected timeline and without interruption?

  • *|SURVEY: Yes|*

  • *|SURVEY: No|*

What You Need to Know

What to Know About the USPS:Governments around the world have undertaken significant actions to combat the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impacts. While many of us have been focusing—and rightly so—on our federal and state governments’ public health and economic relief response, there have also been many changes to core, everyday services. Each day this week we will feature a different government service and provide resources for you to learn about the changes underway due to the pandemic. For today, you can find resources about the U.S. Postal Service, which is making headlines due to a sharp decline in demand for their services.

  • There are warnings that the U.S. Postal Service will “run out of cash” by September. The agency has requested federal assistance, hoping to be included as a funding priority in the federal government’s fourth coronavirus relief bill. (Vox)

  • But Pres. Trump has blocked an infusion of emergency funding for the agency, which employs more than 600,000 people. (Washington Post) Some hypothesize it’s due to Pres. Trump’s feelings about Jeff Bezos. (Vanity Fair) 

  • Following the fiasco of Wisconsin’s primary elections last week, a functioning Postal Service will be even more important as we get closer to the presidential election and more states move to encourage mail-in voting as another way to decrease the likelihood of virus transmission. (POLITICO)

  • Regardless of what happens with the possibility of stimulus money, a growing #SavetheUSPS movement is rallying among several lawmakers and others around the country. (Forbes)

  • In solidarity, people are buying stamps, praising local mail carriers, and raising more conversation about why mail is so important to American life. (BuzzFeed News) 

WORKPLACE TOOLS:

  • Facebook: a hub of several industry-tailored resource kits, plus offering cash grants and ad credits to small businesses. Learn more here.

  • Feedback.VC: a roundup of posts to read before creating your seed deck.

  • SAP: free access to Ruum, a project management and collaboration solution, including two custom checklist templates adapted from the CDC to help businesses respond to COVID-19. 

  • 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: ICYMI from the weekend, a must-read: Come Back, New York, All Is Forgiven (New York Times)

POLICY:

  • On Friday the FCC granted NYC special, temporary authority to expand the capacity and coverage of FDNY communications system using T-Band spectrum to support emergency medical dispatch operations during the pandemic in NYC. (FCC)

  • Mayor de Blasio ordered the Rent Guidelines Board to freeze rents for regulated apartments, potentially offering new relief to as many as two million New Yorkers. This order is not in effect yet, and the board must still vote to make the order reality. (Curbed) 

EVENTS:

  • April 14: Webinar: Marketing Strategies and Sensitivities In the Wake of the Coronavirus, with Columbia Business School’s Jeremy Kagan. Hosted by TechDay. (Details)

  • April 14: Virtual: NY Tech Meetup, with DaVinci Eye, MeetFox, Salut, and Switch. Hosted by NY Tech Alliance. (Details)

  • April 15: Virtual: Entrepreneurship in Uncertain Times, with Newlab Venture Partner Hilary Howe. Hosted by Newlab. (Details)

  • April 15: Virtual: Coronavirus, Tech, and Data, with Charlie Warzel and Shira Ovide. Hosted by the New York Times. (Details)

  • April 15: Webinar: Finding Product-Market Fit, with The Wing VP of Product Nickey Skarstad. Hosted by Products That Count. (Details)

  • April 16: Virtual: Next Wave: Prepare for A Radically Digitized Future. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

To hobby or not to hobby in quarantine:

  • While we’re all stuck inside for the indefinite future, it’s never been a better time to pick up a new hobby. (CNN)

  • Some suggestions for the curious:

    • Learn From Home Club is a new partnership from Codecademy and several other companies offering access to online learning tools.

    • Girls Who Code has a new hub of games for people who want to begin learning to code from home.

    • Skillshare is always a reliable source for sourcing a new creative project (plus, it’s offering two free months of its premium platform right now).

    • Class Central has a comprehensive, diverse list of free courses for learning new skills.

    • Airbnb is helping out travel lovers with an app of digital tourist experiences. 

  • On the other hand, boredom is a privilege, and you might not want to waste it trying to be productive with new hobbies. (Refinery29)

  • There’s something about being cooped up inside for days on end that can bring out your curious, enterprising side. But it’s one thing to want to learn a new hobby and another to actually start doing it. (Man Repeller)

  • And parents, we know what you’re thinking, and we get it. One day you’ll get to have a new hobby, too. (Medium)

When In Doubt

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