COVID-19 Digest: August 6

COVID-19 Digest: August 6

August 06, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Thursday, August 6, 2020As NYC’s reopening and recovery efforts continue, the digest will focus on the resources that help you make decisions about your businesses and your lives as New Yorkers.Below and in our resource guide, you’ll find the latest information on government resources for businesses, city and state reopening measures, and return-to-office preparedness plans. If this can be useful to your colleagues and network, encourage them to sign up here.One programming note: Tech:NYC is observing Summer Fridays this month. We’ll be back on Monday!

The Latest in New York

The latest: State of emergency from power failures declared in twelve NY counties; state says only students with symptoms should get tests; how Shine supported mental health during the WFH transition in our latest Company to Watch; how Tech:NYC has stayed sane during this sweltering, self-isolated summer!  Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 418,928 (+703)

  • New York City: 226,914 (+333)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 25,185 (+3)

  • Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.1 percent (+0.1 percent)

General Updates:

  • Yesterday, Mayor de Blasio announced the city will set up checkpoints to promote compliance with the state’s quarantine rules for travelers from 35 states. (New York Times) But the agencies responsible for those points of entry were not involved in planning nor did they receive details from the mayor’s administration on enforcing the travel advisory. (New York Times)

  • Gov. Cuomo has declared a state of emergency in twelve New York counties, including those covering NYC, after more than two million customers in the tristate area lost power as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias. (amNY) See the current status of outages in the city and Westchester here.

  • The jobless rate in NYC is concentrated in certain neighborhoods, where it reaches upwards of 30 percent. (New York Times) Neighborhoods in the Bronx experienced unemployment rates in excess of 20 percent, while most neighborhoods south of 95th Street in Manhattan had rates less than half that.

  • The city announced a dedicated contact tracing team just for schools. (Chalkbeat) This comes as NYC schools remain the only major education system in the country planning in-person instruction this Fall.

  • And we can’t believe we — or the CDC — have to say this, but: don’t drink the hand sanitizer.

One opportunity: Women Who Tech is accepting applications for the COVID-19 Tech Grant, open to North American tech startups, with at least one woman founder or co-founder, whose product solves a problem ignited by COVID-19. Deadline to apply is August 23. Get more details here.One fun read: The Tech You Love (New York Times)

Survey

The latest results: Now five months into the pandemic, how often are you now taking the subway?

  • 0.05%: Daily 

  • 10.8%: One or more times a week

  • 13.4%: One or more times a month

  • 75.3%: I still have not returned to the subway since the PAUSE order

Today’s poll: New York Magazine asked 100 New Yorkers for their take on the new normal of outdoor drinking. And while the health and safety rules were tightened, outdoor drinking is likely here to stay, even post-pandemic. How often are you visiting outdoor restaurants for a happy hour or evening beverage?

  • *|SURVEY: Every day|*

  • *|SURVEY: Weekly|*

  • *|SURVEY: Sometimes|*

  • *|SURVEY: I'm not drinking out|*

Find the poll results from all previous editions of this newsletter here.

What You Need to Know

What to Know: Reopening:

  • It’s been one month since indoor dining was taken out of NYC’s original Phase IV reopening plans, and there is still no timeline for when it might be permitted again. (New York Post)

  • Should students be tested before returning to school? (NY State of Politics) As parents, students, teachers wait on final decisions about whether New York schools reopen next month, the state is not recommending that every student get tested, only if they show physical symptoms.

Related reading:

  • A Guide to NYC’s Food Halls Reopening for Outdoor Dining, Takeout, and Delivery (Eater NY)

  • Two-Wheel Traffic Is Up on Bridges, But Cash-Strapped City Can’t Expand Crowded Bike Lanes (THE CITY)

  • The Winter Will Be Worse (The Atlantic)

What to Know: Return-to-Office:

  • Slack is extending its WFH policy for all employees until at least June 2021. Its offices will remain closed until that time, unless there’s a dramatic shift in safety conditions. (Details) This move follows similar moves by Google and Uber to extend WFH until summer 2021. The company said the extension will give them time to “rethink how Slack works in a remote-first world, and to give our employees the clarity they need to make long-term plans for themselves and their families.”

Related reading:

  • The Workforce Is About to Change Dramatically (The Atlantic)

  • According To This Survey, Two-Thirds Of Workers Have Returned To Their Offices (Refinery29)

  • For Robots, It’s Time to Shine (And Maybe Disinfect) (The New York Times)

One Company to Watch:

SHINE

What does your company do?

Shine cofounders and co-CEOs Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi: Shine is the leading self-care app and community. We’re on a mission to make caring for your mental and emotional health easier, more representative, and more inclusive. 

When the outbreak began, not only did companies have to very quickly figure out how to close down operations and shift their workforces to remote, but employees had to very quickly adapt to work from home. That certainly can be stressful. What sort of wellness trends have you seen come up in those transitions?

ML: One of the most hopeful trends we’ve seen is that a side effect of the collective anxiety around the pandemic is that Shine members have found themselves opening up more to friends and family about their mental health. The pandemic is actually destigmatizing the conversation around mental health. 

Since the pandemic began, 52% of people said they’re talking about their mental health more with others, citing the fact that knowing “other people are also struggling” is the top reason why. There’s also a strong correlation between Shine members who are talking about their mental health and those who are turning to self-compassion to navigate this pandemic. 73% of Shine members said they are feeling more grateful since the pandemic began — with food, shelter, family, and healthcare and essential workers taking the top spots for what people are most appreciative about.Read the full interview 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 is now available here and contains a comprehensive list of return-to-office plans published in previous digests.

Recruit: A tech talent and job opportunities board from Tech:NYC and AlleyCorp compiles NYC tech workers looking for new roles and NYC-based tech companies hiring open positions. To contribute to the board, click here.

Events:

  • August 14: Virtual: TechDay Founders Summit, with presentations from Google, Techstars, Justworks, IBM, AWS, and more. Hosted by TechDay. Use code FSPARTNER10 for 10% off. (Details)

  • August 18: Virtual: 2020 Education NY Summit, with Department of Education Chancellor Betty A. Rosa, United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew, and others. Hosted by City & State. (Details)

  • August 24: Virtual: Mobilize Women Week 2020, with Ellevest CEO Sallie Krawcheck, Warby Parker co-CEO Neil Blumenthal, and more. Hosted by Ellevate. (Details) 

We ❤️ New York:It’s been a rare occasion over the past several months, but thanks to moving plans and power outages and a number of other reasons, the full Tech:NYC team is back in the city today! It got us in a nostalgic mood for all the places we’ve missed — and the ones keeping us sane during these times. Here’s what some our favorite saving spaces are:

  • Julie: The magical waterfall tucked away in the Ramble in Central Park has been cooling my family off all month. Not surprisingly, dogs and kids alike love splashing in it, and the amazingly calming sound of falling water can even get me to temporarily forget about all of the terrible things.

  • Sarah: Court Street Grocers on Laguardia Place reopened yesterday with all sales going to the Equal Justice Initiative and the Movement for Black Lives. As if that wasn’t reason enough to visit, they make, what I believe to be, the best breakfast sandwich in the city. So this morning I started my day with my old favorite, an iced coffee, and people watching in Washington Square Park. It was perfect.

  • Ryan: My go-to spot for green tea soft serve ice cream in Chinatown has, unfortunately, closed due to COVID-19, so I’ve been on the hunt for my new go-to. Enter Surreal Creamery — they’re making magical soft serve-bubble tea things happen in Kips Bay. I recommend the Taro Bubble Tea & Matcha Ice Cream Flotea. 

  • Tyler: I’ve gotten plenty of takeout from Tsion Cafe, the tiny Ethiopian cafe in Harlem, but when I heard it reopened its backyard patio for outdoor dining, I rushed to reserve a (socially distanced) table — it was worth it for the honey wine alone. I’ve also spent so much time in Fort Tryon Park that the heath plants there now know me by name.

  • Bryan: Astoria Seafood is the absolute gem of Queens. It’s a no-frills former wholesale fresh fish market turned fish market restaurant, that’s also BYOB. You literally bag your own seafood and tell the counter how you want it made while you wait out on the streets of what is — despite its namesake — technically Long Island City. Gothamist got it right: it’s the perfect New York restaurant.

When In Doubt

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

Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.