COVID-19 Digest: July 14

COVID-19 Digest: July 14

July 14, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Tuesday, July 14, 2020As NYC begins reopening, 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.

The Latest in New York

The latest: Data shows cavalier commitment to COVID protocols; infections increasing among young adults in NYC; Apple closing some stores again as cases rise nationwide; file your taxes!Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 403,175 (+912)

  • New York City: 219,616 (+315)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 24,994 (+5)

  • Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.4 percent (+0.3 percent)

General Updates:

  • Despite case surges in the South and West, Americans are continuing to venture out of the home at higher rates and social distancing less, according to a new Axios-Ipsos poll. (Ipsos)

  • New data shows that, in NYC, the infection rate has especially increased among residents in their 20s since mid-June. (POLITICO) Some are pointing to overcrowded outdoor bars as the reason. (New York Post)

  • Four more states have been added to New York’s travel advisory. Travelers from Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin will be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Delaware has been removed from the advisory. (CBS New York)

    • ICYMI: Gov. Cuomo announced the enforcement plans for the advisory, requiring all travelers to submit a health form disclosing their travel plans while in New York, or else face a $2,000 fine. The form is distributed by airlines and can also be submitted online here. (New York Times)

  • A quick reminder: tomorrow is the new tax filing deadline, after the Treasury Department extended the usual April 15 deadline due to the pandemic. If you still need to file, here’s what to know. (New York Times) If you’re owed a refund, be prepared to wait: the IRS has a huge backlog.

  • And if you missed this thread about New York’s pandemic response from Andy Slavitt, the former administrator of the Centers for Medicaid Services, it’s a must-read. (Twitter)

One opportunity: The Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy is inviting applications to its one-year fellowship program, open to lawyers, technologists, artists, policymakers, academics, and innovators of all kinds. Applicants must be primarily based in NYC. Applications will be reviewed beginning August 3 and continually accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more here.One must read: Meet This Popular Essential Worker. And Give Her A Scratch Behind the Ear. (New York Times) 

Survey

The latest results: Which part of the governor’s commemorative poster is your favorite?

  • 7.3%: The European airplane riding the Winds of Fear and parting the WH Task Force and CDC clouds

  • 33.3%: “The boyfriend” desperately hanging on the cliff’s edge

  • 15.6%: The governor driving a muscle car...straight for Boyfriend Cliff

  • 29.2%: Sad Trump stuck sitting on the moon

  • 9.4%: Captain the dog

  • 5.2%: Other

Today’s poll: If you’ve ventured outside, you might have noticed something: it’s really, really hot. Like put slippers on your dog hot. The city has opened some cooling centers, but short of taking a wrench to the neighborhood fire hydrant or flipping ice cream trucks, other options are few. How are you most combatting the heat wave?

  • *|SURVEY: Going to a city beach or public pool|*

  • *|SURVEY: Going to a city park|*

  • *|SURVEY: Going to a cooling center|*

  • *|SURVEY: Staying inside with A/C — I'm still avoiding public outdoor spaces|*

  • *|SURVEY: Other|*

Reminder: If you haven’t already, please help us get to know you better by completing our quick audience survey here. Find the poll results from all previous editions of this newsletter here.

What You Need to Know

What to Know: Reopening:

  • Despite their industry reopening, many restaurant staffers are worried about going back to work, and they’re debating whether the risk outweighs the benefit. (Eater NY)

  • The neighboring state of New Jersey is rolling back beach reopenings after residents failed to adhere to social distancing guidelines. (NJ Advance)

Related reading:

  • With fears that roadway congestion will skyrocket, could the city impose HOV lanes? (amNY)

  • NYC’s Industrial Market Remains Stable Despite Pandemic (Commercial Observer)

  • Grappling With How to Reopen Schools Safely (New York Times)

  • Everything We Do and Don’t Know About New York’s Reopening (New York Mag)

What to Know: Return-to-Office:

  • Apple is once again closing stores and pushing for retail staff to WFH in areas of the country where the virus continues to spike. The company says a full return to US offices won’t happen before the end of 2020. (Bloomberg) The company is also shipping weekly COVID-19 at-home test kits to employees’ homes.

  • A reminder: NYC has launched the NYC PPE + Reopening Supplies Marketplace to help businesses purchase supplies in order to operate safely and efficiently. The Marketplace provides a one-stop-shop for businesses to find face masks and shields, gloves, cleaning and disinfectant products, thermometers, physical barriers and portable furniture, and other supplies needed for re-opening. This is the initial phase of the marketplace, representing both local and regional suppliers and manufacturers, and it will continue to evolve with more features.

Related reading:

  • How to plan a safer office reopening (Quartz)

  • Building ventilation systems are getting tested for coronavirus, too (Axios)

  • Hybrid Remote Work Offers the Worst of Both Worlds (WIRED)

  • The ‘9 to 5’ work day is out of the question (CNBC)

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:

  • July 16: Virtual: 5th Annual EvolvingE Summit, with executives from Ro, Chief, Twitch, Peloton, Maven, Bowery Farming, and more, to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation. Hosted by GGV Capital and Max Ventures. (Details)

  • July 16: Virtual: Building the Future with 5G, with Verizon, Ghost Robotics, BP LaunchPad, Walmart’s Store 8. Hosted by Newlab. (Details)

  • July 17: Virtual: Career Lunch Series, with Tesla Product Manager Brittany Keith. Hosted by thelighthouse. (Details)

  • July 18: Virtual: Brunchwork at Home, with Atlee Clark, Shopify Director of Partner Platform. Hosted by bruchwork. Use code TECHNY30 for 30% off. (Details)

  • July 21: Virtual: The New Normal: Cybersecurity in a Remote Environment, with Orrick and ClearOps. Hosted by Data Future Lab. (Details)

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.