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COVID-19 Digest: July 29

COVID-19 Digest: July 29

July 29, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Wednesday, July 29, 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: Hydroxychloroquine misinformation spreading via viral video, Dr. Fauci forces folks to face facts; we breakdown the $1T HEALS Act relief package; NYC school reopening guidelines expected Friday; MTA installing free mask dispensers on buses. Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 413,593 (+715)
New York City: 224,551 (+302)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,132 (+5)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.1 percent (+0.2 percent)

General Updates:

According to recent data, only 42 percent of infected people provided contact tracers in the NYC Test and Trace Corps with the name of someone they may have exposed, which epidemiologists have said is too low for the program to be effective. (New York Times)
In response to a viral video claiming hydroxychloroquine is a "cure" for the virus, Dr. Anthony Fauci clarified that evidence definitively shows it as ineffective for treating COVID-19. (Axios)
As higher education institutions stare down deadlines on a return to campus for the fall semester, more than 6,300 coronavirus cases have already been linked to US colleges and universities before the academic year even begins. (New York Times)
In an era of indefinite social distancing, experts say masks are here to stay for at least another year. (Washington Post)
Speaking of masks and social distancing: even Congress is adjusting to the “new normal” of the workplace. The tech and political worlds closely watched today’s (virtual) testimony from the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. (The Verge) But the hearing has been delayed by things we’d never imagine pre-COVID: a Chamber cleaning, Congressional mask compliance, videoconferencing glitches, and at least one granola bar appearance.

One important way to help: NYC lags behind the 2020 Census national self-response rate, with just 54 percent completing the census so far. If you haven’t already, answer 10 questions in 10 minutes to complete the census here, and join this week’s #GetCountedNYC Week of Action to ensure your friends and colleagues get counted.

Survey

The latest results: How do you most often procure lunch during the workday?

90.7%: I make food at home.
3.5%: I order delivery.
4.1%: I order takeout.
1.7%: I dine (outdoors) at a restaurant.

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

Today’s poll: Negotiations are underway for the next round of pandemic relief funding, with the GOP plan announced this week proposing new, but limited, extensions of PPP loan funding, unemployment insurance, school funding, and direct payments. If these proposals are passed into law, would they have a bearing on your personal and/or professional lives?

*|SURVEY: Yes, it would impact by job and/or professional life|*
*|SURVEY: Yes, it would impact my personal life|*
*|SURVEY: Yes, it would impact both my professional and personal lives|*
*|SURVEY: No, it would not have any impact|*

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

What You Need to Know

The HEALS Act:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the GOP proposal for the HEALS Act, the next pandemic relief bill. (NPR) This comes with long delays behind a $3 trillion relief package House Democrats approved in May. (CNN)
The proposal kicks off lawmaker negotiations on the bill's details, with Democrats and some Republicans expressing dissatisfaction with key components, which will likely result in significant changes. (Axios.)
Among the proposed allocations:
- An extension of the Paycheck Protection Program: but with caveats. Small businesses with 300 or fewer employees that are preexisting PPP loan recipients and show a revenue loss of 50 percent or more can apply for a second loan.
- Unemployment benefits: will be extended, but at 70 percent of an individual’s lost wages rather than the $600 weekly benefit Americans were receiving under the CARES Act.
- Direct payments: will be provided to all Americans under the same guidelines as the CARES Act, sending $1,200 checks to individuals with an annual income of up to $75,000.
The proposal does not include any additional funding for state and local governments, nor does it include hazard pay for essential frontline workers. (Washington Post)
- Gov. Cuomo has on several occasions warned that, without aid for states, New York’s budget will be faced with drastic cuts. (THE CITY) He warned this week that the state will be forced to consider property tax increases, higher transit fares, and other measures to make up for the revenue shortfall. (NY1)
- Mayor de Blasio similarly sounded the alarm on the plan’s lack of municipal support, saying it could force the layoffs of as many as 22,000 city employees. (New York Post)
- The MTA is also exploring millions of dollars in cuts in anticipation of the agency being left out of the federal aid package. (Bloomberg)
Officials are hopeful they can pass a final bill by mid-August, but that timetable appears more and more challenging given the stark differences in the substance of the legislation. (Vox)

What to Know: Reopening:

The City is expected to release its official school reopening plan on Friday, although final decisions will not be made until just before the pending September 10 school start date. (New York Post)
Delta is continuing to leave middle seats empty during the pandemic, even as other airlines have relaxed similar policies. (New York Times) It is also testing all employees and aggressively enforcing a mask requirement.
DMV-licensed driving schools can begin conducting distance learning licensing courses. (Newsday)
The MTA launched a pilot program today to install free surgical mask dispensers inside buses for rider safety and convenience. The agency plans to expand the pilot across every borough and over 20 routes by the end of August. (ABC New York)