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COVID-19 Digest: July 28

COVID-19 Digest: July 28

July 28, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Tuesday, July 28, 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: $1 trillion GOP stimulus proposal pumps up PPP coffers, but 22,000 city workers could be cut without better protections in the plan, says Mayor; NYC revising Open Streets initiative to include summer youth programs; 40 percent of Bay Area would move if WFH is permanent, according to new Hired survey.Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 412,878 (+ 534)
New York City: 224,249 (+198)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,126 (+9)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 0.9 percent (-0.3 percent)

General Updates:

A grim milestone: the US surpassed 150,000 coronavirus deaths. (NBC News)
New infections are slowing in what were the country's major hotspots over the past few weeks, including California, Florida, and Arizona. (Bloomberg) But they’re now on the rise in other states, including Mississippi, Montana, and Louisiana. (NPR)
To that end: three more states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington DC, have been added to New York’s travel advisory, bringing the current total to 34 states on the list. (NBC New York) Travelers from Kentucky, Illinois, and Minnesota will now be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. See the full updated list here.
More details about the Republicans’ next coronavirus stimulus proposal have been released. (Axios) At a $1 trillion price tag, it extends unemployment benefits, but at a reduced rate; extends the Paycheck Protection Program with $190 billion for existing PPP loan recipients; and includes another round of direct check payments under the same guidelines as the first round.
Mayor de Blasio decried the GOP relief proposal today, saying that a lack of additional federal funding for cities will force layoffs for up to 22,000 city workers. (New York Post)
And if you’re still planning to be WFH for the foreseeable future, these four countries would like you to consider working inside their borders instead. (Washington Post)

One good resource: The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce launched Indicators of Progress, a new dashboard tracking NYC’s recovery, capturing data on foot traffic, air travel, restaurant dining, real estate activity, and more. It will be updated weekly.

Survey

The latest results: As we head into post-Phase IV New York, how frequently would you like to receive this digest moving forward?

36.6%: Daily on weekdays
37.5%: 2-3 times per week
20.7%: One time per week
5.2%: Intermittently as needed or is timely

Note: if you didn’t get a chance to submit your vote in yesterday’s poll, we’d still love to hear from you! Let us know how often you’re interested in receiving ongoing updates here.

Today’s poll: As tech workers largely continue to WFH, gone are the days of stocked snack cabinets and catered office lunches. With no definite return to the office for many companies, employees may be left to source their own meals for the foreseeable future. How do you most often procure lunch during the workday?

*|SURVEY: I make food at home.|*
*|SURVEY: I order delivery.|*
*|SURVEY: I order takeout.|*
*|SURVEY: I dine (outdoors) at a restaurant.|*

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

What You Need to Know

What to Know: Reopening:

Council Member Keith Powers, together with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the NYC Hospitality Alliance, has unveiled new proposed plans to make outdoor dining permanent. (Crain’s NY) Currently, the outdoor dining rules are authorized through October.
NYC added another 1.72 miles of new open streets, but also removed 2.77 miles of previously opened streets and returned them to vehicular traffic. (Gothamist) Mayor de Blasio also announced that the open streets’ hours will be increased to become “Open Play Streets” that give children and families more access to them, many of which will add summer programming opportunities for kids.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is calling for a delay in school reopenings by another month, saying that the school year should begin in October, and in-person classes should be limited to students ten years old or younger. (NY1)
NYC public schools are planning to offer physical education, with precautions, this fall. (NY1) Physical education is a required subject, and city guidelines highly encourage using nearby parks and open streets for instruction.