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- COVID-19 Digest: April 24
COVID-19 Digest: April 24
COVID-19 Digest: April 24
COVID-19 Digest
Friday, April 24, 2020Please 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.Tech:NYC’s resource guide 2.0 is here. You can now find updated information on government resources for businesses, new health tracking and treatment tools, and a new section with return-to-office preparedness plans and resources. It will be updated regularly as new resources become available.
The Latest in New York
The latest: Health officials (and common sense!) advise against ingesting disinfectants; laughter is not the best medicine, but it doesn’t hurt; state projects revenue shortfalls over next four years; cooking up the weekend with Tech:NYC’s recipe recommendations.Confirmed Cases:
New York State: 271,590 (+8,130)
New York City: 150,473 (+4,618)
Statewide Fatalities: 16,162 (+422)
General Updates:
Gov. Cuomo will sign an executive order directing the Board of Elections to send every New Yorker a postage-paid application for an absentee ballot to vote remotely in the June 23 primary election. (The Hill)
Bill Gates issued a lengthy reality check on his blog, saying in the coming months, we’ll only be able to move into a “semi-normal” phase of opening back up. (GatesNotes)
NYC health officials made clear that ingesting or injecting disinfectants is not safe and they do not recommend people attempt doing so. This comes after Pres. Trump floated the idea as something medical professionals should look into. (POLITICO)
Internal White House documents revealed a continued effort to make unproven chloroquine treatments widely available in New York and New Jersey, despite the FDA’s emergency rule to limit its use for COVID patients. Former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Rick Bright, is expected to file a whistleblower complaint. (Vanity Fair)
Volunteer request: the COVID Foundation, a 100% volunteer-run non profit organization that provides PPE to the communities who need it most during the fight against COVID-19, is looking for volunteers to help in web development, marketing, partnerships, and operations either full-time or part-time. Reach out here if you are interested in getting involved.
Last chance: on Monday, Tech:NYC’s (virtual) book club is discussing Facebook: The Inside Story with the author (and WIRED editor at large) Steven Levy. Let us know if you’d like to join and we’ll send you details!
A must read of the day: A (very busy) day in the life of a triage nurse at Lenox Hill Hospital: How A Triage Nurse Spends Her Sundays (New York Times)
Survey
Yesterday's results: When do you think you’ll take your next subway ride?
5.5%: Before June
16.1%: Not until June
34.4%: Not until later in the summer
23.4%: Not until fall
20.6%:Not until 2021
Today’s poll: On March 22, New York State on PAUSE went into effect, essentially requiring non-essential workers to stay in their homes to the maximum extent possible. Where are you riding out this order?
*|SURVEY: I remained in NYC.|*
*|SURVEY: I left NYC to stay somewhere else.|*
*|SURVEY: I was not living in NYC to start with.|*
What You Need to Know
I Can't Believe They Said That:
In these daily digests, we aim to bring you the facts and tools necessary to manage your way through the ongoing pandemic. But we also realize the state of the world is pretty crazy right now and the tidal wave of information can be overwhelming.
For today, we want to balance that out a bit. As recently noted in the New York Times, “throughout history, humor has played a role in the darkest times, as a psychological salve and shared release.” It’s important to find humor through everything, so as you head into your weekend, here are a few absolutely non-factual, non-scientific, absurd things people said recently that we couldn’t help but laugh (and also sob?) at.
The mayor of Las Vegas went on Anderson Cooper’s show to advocate for the reopening of her city, and let’s just say, she made a few (rd: many) odd statements. The whole 25 minute interview is worth watching and we still can’t be certain this is not actually an SNL skit.
Shortly after Chris Cuomo was diagnosed with COVID-19, his wife Cristina was as well. She took to her blog to share how the family recovered, crediting vitamin drips and baths in Clorox, among other things. Medical experts have something to say about that.
Yesterday, Pres. Trump mused that sending UV light through the skin or injecting disinfectants could be effective treatments for coronavirus. Dr. Birx’s reaction as she sat to the side is a case study in restraint and what looks to us like complete dissociation. That Lysol felt it needed to release a statement debunking his comments tells you everything you need to know about the world we live in now. Former Vice President and presidential candidate Joe Biden had something to say too.
Relatedly, we had to dig up this piece published in The Onion last month. The Onion (as always) nails it, in part because it always manages to always stay ahead of the curve. Check out the date on the headline.
RETURN-TO-OFFICE PLANS:
As New York plans its reopening, so too are companies forming their return-to-office strategies. In addition to following federal guidelines, here are a few more company updates on their current plans:
Bitly: released its four phase return-to-office plan and associated considerations. Each phase outlines protocols as they relate to eligibility; logistics; hygiene and health; office space; kitchen; communication; and policies. In addition, the plan details procedures for a quick close should the need to do so arise out of necessity. The plan has not yet been rolled out and is subject to changing guidelines and recommendations.
Slack: revised its return-to-office plan. Slack offices will not fully re-open until at least September 1, 2020. They noted that “keeping offices closed and embracing remote work for a longer period means less exposure for our employees, fewer invasive distancing measures in offices, less disruption for customers, and greater flexibility in weathering a potential second wave of the virus. It means we can be good citizens and pave the way for other workers to return to work first—those who cannot work remotely—to sustain their livelihood. It also enables our employees to get through the summer months of inevitably disrupted school and child care.”
WeWork: released a plan to its members on the future of the workplace.The plan focuses on three key areas: professional distancing, cleanliness, and behavioral signage. More here.
Request: please let us know as your return-to-office policies are developed and what considerations your companies are taking for developing them. Sharing this information is helpful to companies and employees across the NYC ecosystem and can be kept anonymous.
Reminder: Tech:NYC’s resource guide 2.0 is now available here.
POLICY:
According to Gov. Cuomo, New York State is expecting a $13.3 billion (14 percent) revenue decline from earlier forecasts. From 2021 to 2024, the state is calculating $61 billion in losses. (CNBC)
New York City schools will implement a new grading technique for K-8 with two marks, an “S” for satisfactory and an “N” for needs improvement. High School students will be graded based on each school’s policy, but instead of a failing grade they will receive an incomplete. (Twitter)
EVENTS:
April 26: Virtual: brunchwork at home, with Ellevest cofounder Charlie Kroll and Republic cofounder Kendrick Nguyen. Hosted by brunchwork. Use code TECHNYC30 for 30% off. (Details)
April 28: Virtual: What’s Happening in Education and Edtech, with Kaplan EIR Megan O’Connor. Hosted by Human Ventures. (Details)
April 28: Virtual: Falling, Pivoting, or Booming: Business Challenges and Recommendations for Startups in the Age of COVID-19, with Cornell Tech’s Fernando Gomez-Baquero. Hosted by TechDay. (Details)
May 1: Webinar: Virtual Career Lunch Series, with Button senior recruiter Caroline Taylor. Hosted by thelighthouse. (Details)
May 1: Virtual: Startup Financing Forum: Current Prospects & Strategies for Angel Financing. Hosted by NY Tech Alliance. (Details)
Your Weekend Menu:
Here are 15 recipes the Bon Appétit staff turns to when there’s nothing in the fridge. (Bon Appétit)
As you head into your weekend, here’s a peek at the Tech:NYC team’s quarantine cooking plans:
Julie: I really enjoy both cooking and baking, but my quarantine situation involves two grown-ups with full-time jobs, two young kids, and a dog, so …. I’ll be making the very convenient and most delicious comfort food of all time: Kraft Mac and Cheese, the powdery kind. If I’m feeling extra fancy I’ll add some Ro-Tel and cilantro, assuming I can get my hands on some fresh cilantro. If not, I might add my favorite spice condiment that I put on everything. Though honestly I’ll probably eat it plain, because why mess with perfection?
Sarah: My friends Cleo and Julia used to write a column for Food52 called Weird & Ravenous, which basically describes my current existence. Two of my favorites are this roasted cauliflower salad and their roasted sweet potato, quinoa, and arugula salad. Both keep well in the fridge and make for semi-virtuous and delicious lunches.
Zach: It is approximately week 1,000 of the stay-at-home order in NY...I have an onion, some frozen pierogies, greek yogurt, and scallions. I’ll fry the onion, boil the pierogies, and top with greek yogurt and scallions. Oh, I also bought vodka for the first time since grad school. Slightly better quality than those days. Perhaps I’ll have a shot of vodka with my pierogies. L’chaim!
Tyler: I’m a food delivery guru, and to be honest, I can’t tell you the last time I turned my stove on. Even correctly setting the oven temp is ambitious for me, so I’m going to keep it simple: pan sheet Brussel sprouts. Bon Appetit’s recipe includes honey and red chili flakes, an intriguing sweet/spicy dynamic I’m down for. Wish me luck!
Bryan: As a treat to myself, I sometimes have a Shake Shack burger while enjoying the scenery and atmosphere of Madison Square Park. It’s one of the many things I miss and hope to do again when this is all over. Until then, I plan to bring some of that magic back by making my own Shackburger through a DIY Shake Shack burger kit sold by GoldBelly. It clearly won’t be the same, but I’m excited to eat something so familiar and comforting this weekend.
If you, like us, are dreaming about your first meal out when the pandemic is over, here are 21 famous New Yokers on where theirs will be. (Grub Street)
When In Doubt
Check these sources for verified information from government agencies and public health authorities: