COVID-19 Digest: April 3

COVID-19 Digest: April 3

April 03, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Friday, April 3, 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.Programming note: It’s been a long few weeks, so we’re sending off today’s digest early in an effort to give our team the rest of the day to recharge. We hope you can find the time to do the same. We’ll continue monitoring updates and be back to our regularly-scheduled programming on Monday.

The Latest in New York

The latest: Gov. Cuomo orders redistribution of critical supplies; a guide to being facemask ready; the budget passes through the State Legislature; some of the many reasons we love New York.Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 102,863 (+10,482)

  • New York City: 57,159 (+5,350)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 2,935 (+562)

  • Patients Discharged: 8,886 (+1,452)

General Updates:

  • Today, small businesses were supposed to be able to begin applying for loans available through the CARES Act. However, many details remain unclear, complicating efforts by lenders to manage what is expected to be an onslaught of prospective borrowers. (Wall Street Journal) As you likely know if you’ve tried applying, many lenders are not yet accepting applications. (Forbes)

  • The field hospital at the Javits Center will now be COVID-only. It was originally set up to be overflow hospital care for non-COVID patients. (New York Post)

  • Gov. Cuomo will sign an executive order allowing the state to redeploy ventilators and PPE from lower need facilities, mostly in rural upstate areas, to hospitals experiencing supply shortages. (AP)

  • In other news, New York has a new state seal which bears the phrase E pluribus unum — appropriate now more than ever. (Times Union)

Survey

Yesterday’s results: While New York State has been ahead of most of the country in testing, anecdotes about difficulty in receiving tests abound. Have you or someone you know been impacted by an inability to get tested?61.8%: Yes38.2%: No

What You Need to Know

DO'S AND DON'TS OF MASKS:

  • Yesterday, Mayor de Blasio issued new guidance advising all NYC residents to wear masks when they leave their homes. (POLITICO) This comes as Pres. Trump is said to be preparing similar guidance nationally. (CNN)

  • But that doesn’t mean we should all buy what few masks are available right now: N95 and other professional grade masks should be reserved for healthcare and other front line workers who need them most. (LA Times)

  • The biggest benefit to wearing a mask is protecting others in the event you are sick but asymptomatic. It’s also a good cue to refrain from touching your mouth or nose. (Wall Street Journal)

  • With mask supplies low, more homemade face coverings can go a long way in reducing the chance of transmission. A bandana or a scarf is a good option, or it’s a good time to fashion your own! (New York Times) Here’s another tutorial on how to sew your own with common household materials. (New York Times)

  • Reminder: this guidance isn’t a substitute for all the other ongoing prevention steps. New Yorkers are still asked to travel only for essential reasons, avoid gatherings, and maintain six feet of social distancing.

WORKPLACE TOOLS:

  • Lance: a guide of business management and financial resources for freelancers.

  • Learn from Home Club: a central hub of online learning tools from Codecademy, SkillShare, Quizlet, Brainly and Duolingo.

  • PhotoShelter: a thorough list of resources for photographers, artists, and design professionals (bonus: this post of remote creativity hacks.)  

  • 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: From our friend Justin Hendrix: Why I’m staying in New York: A coronavirus crisis pledge. (New York Daily News)

POLICY:

  • Early this morning, the budget passed through both houses of the New York State Legislature, and the Governor is expected to sign the measures into law later today. (New York Times)

  • The National Rifle Association is suing New York State over its decision to not include gun retailers as essential services and forcing them to close during the pandemic. (New York Times)

If you have any questions about the state budget and/or want to learn more, email our Policy Director here. 

EVENTS:

  • April 6: Virtual: A Conversation with Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, with Rise of the Rest investor JD Vance. Hosted by Company. (Details)

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

  • April 8: Virtual: Democratizing Access to Finance in Unprecedented Times, with Blend. Hosted by Change Catalyst. (Details)

  • April 9: Virtual: Weathering the Storm: 2008 & Now, with MobleIron co-founder Bob Tinker. Hosted by Work-Bench. (Details)

  • April 10: Virtual: Learn from Home Day. Hosted by Codecademy. (Details)

  • April 15: Webinar: How to Run Remote Team Retrospectives. Hosted by Carbon Five. (Details)

Some of the many reasons we love New York:

  • A great profile of Invisible Hands, an all-volunteer group of young people set up to deliver groceries and supplies to at-risk older people in NYC. (NPR)

  • Rethink is partnering with the iconic Eleven Madison Park to reopen, turning it into a commissary kitchen producing thousands of meals for City Meals on Wheels and hospital workers. (New York Times)

  • A Brooklyn landlord, Mario Salerno, waived April rents for the 80 apartments he owns to relieve that stress for his tenants. (New York Times)

  • Here’s a two minute video montage of New Yorkers coming together for the 7pm #ClapBecauseWeCare in gratitude to frontline workers. (The Guardian)

  • And last but not least, you can count on NYC to always keep you humble. (New York Post)

When In Doubt

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