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COVID-19 Digest: July 20

COVID-19 Digest: July 20

July 20, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Monday, July 20, 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: NYC begins Phase IV reopening, some businesses still left behind; NYS Legislature to convene for COVID relief; city’s four biggest zoos open Friday; NYC rents down year-over-year for first time in a decade.Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 407,326 (+519)
New York City: 221,703 (+284)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,056 (+8)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.3 percent (no change)

General Updates:

NYC entered Phase IV today — but it looks different than the Phase IV permissions in other regions of the state, leaving much of the city’s economy still frozen. (POLITICO) More on that below.
Some good news: this weekend, New York’s coronavirus hospitalizations fell to its lowest number since the beginning of the pandemic. (The Hill) Some not-good news: at least 85 infants under the age of 12 months have tested positive for coronavirus in one Texas county, heightening worries about virus spread in young children. (CNN) Older children, as well, have now been found to spread the virus as much as adults. (New York Times)
The New York State Legislature is reconvening for a special session this week to act on a flurry of coronavirus-related bills. (City & State)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to release his phase four coronavirus relief bill this week. (Axios) The proposal officially kicks off bipartisan negotiations in Congress for the next round of relief funding, but officials will have to move quickly — the House is scheduled to break on July 31.
New York isn’t the only state with measures in place for visitors — a third of states are now requiring everything from mandatory testing to quarantine requirements for travelers. If you’re traveling this summer, consult this list of every state’s requirements. (New York Times)
One great resource: the Partnership for New York City released today a comprehensive assessment of COVID-19’s impact on the metro region (spoiler: it isn’t pretty), plus an action plan on how the city can recover and prepare for the “new normal." Read the full report here.

One opportunity: CS4All is seeking tech industry professionals to participate in a virtual career panel on July 30th at 3pm. As a panelist, you’ll share insights with public high schools interns interested in computer science about building a career in tech. Find more details here, and register your interest in participating here.

One good read: Need some good news about COVID-19? “For the first time in history, nearly every scientist in the world is focused on the same problem. This is starting to pay real dividends.” Here are six reasons for optimism. (Washington Post)

Survey

The latest results: How long has it been since you’ve seen any colleagues in-person?

10.3%: In the last week
7.6%: In the last month
10.3%: In the last quarter or longer
71.9%: I haven’t seen them in-person since our office closed

Today’s poll: As a part of NYC’s Phase IV, professional sports can return, just without fans (although, Mets fans can order cardboard cutouts of themselves to occupy seats in Citi Field). The NBA also returns at the end of the month, and teams have been put in quarantine bubbles to prepare. Are you planning to tune in when live sports is back on television?

*|SURVEY: Yes, I can't wait and don't know how long I survived this long without sports|*
*|SURVEY: Yes I'll watch, but only because it's on|*
*|SURVEY: No, I don't plan to watch|*

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

What You Need to Know

Phase IV comes to NYC:

NYC entered Phase IV today, but it isn’t as expansive as originally anticipated. (Gothamist) While New York has staved off another spike in infections so far, much of the rest of the country hasn’t, and Gov. Cuomo is taking that as a warning sign to not reopen too quickly. Here’s what you need to know. (New York Times)

Outdoor cultural and entertainment venues can reopen, at limited capacity and with strict safety measures in place:
- Venues like zoos and botanical gardens are permitted to reopen at 33 percent capacity.
- Professional sports can also resume, but without fans gathering for games in-person.
- Media, film, and music production can also resume.
But unlike Phase IV in other regions of the state, NYC’s Phase IV has left some things out for now:
- Indoor dining, which was supposed to come back in limited capacity in Phase III, is still not permitted.
- Any indoor venues that would’ve fallen in the Phase IV category of cultural and entertainment venues — gyms, malls, movie theaters, and museums — will also remain closed until an unannounced later date.
There’s no clear timetable for when those closures will be lifted, and Gov. Cuomo has said he’s bracing for the potential of a second wave as outbreaks across the country threaten to spill into New York. (Newsday)
But the slow and steady approach appears to be working. New York’s case percentages have remained around one percent for weeks now, and Dr. Fauci held up New York as a model for how to effectively fight the virus. (CNBC) Stay the course, everyone.

What to Know: Reopening:

Four city zoos — Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo — will reopen to the public on July 24.
The New York Botanical Garden reopens to the public on July 28, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden reopens to the public on August 7.
Citi Bike celebrated its 100 millionth bike ride, accelerated in no small part to worries over riding mass transit. (Citi Bike) With Citi Bikes, scooters, skateboards, more people are getting around in the fresh air, regardless of how long it takes. (New York Times)