COVID-19 Digest: July 31

COVID-19 Digest: July 31

July 31, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Friday, July 31, 2020

Happy Friday! As we head into August, this will be the last short Friday dispatch for the summer. The Tech:NYC team is observing Summer Fridays for the next month, but rest assured we’ll continue sending you the updates you need during the rest of the week. 

  • A quick round of updates:

    • The US government made its largest deal yet in securing a coronavirus vaccine, paying out $2.1 billion to GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi for 100 million doses. (New York Times) The companies expect to begin clinical trials in September in the hopes of earning regulatory approval in the first half of next year.

    • As the $600 federal unemployment benefit through the CARES Act expires, New York is providing unemployed residents with an extra 20 weeks of benefits. (New York Daily News)

    • The heat wave is finally breaking, but if you think the weather is giving us a break, Hurricane Isaias has other plans.

  • Mayor de Blasio announced further plans for the fall semester, saying that schools will not reopen in September unless the coronavirus infection rate is less than three percent, a level NYC has maintained since June 10. The three percent threshold is lower than the five percent baseline mandated by Gov. Cuomo. (NY1) 

    • If a student or teacher tests positive for coronavirus, their specific classroom will cease in-person activity for 14 days, with the rest of the school remaining open unless a more widespread outbreak is discovered. Teachers will also be encouraged to opt into monthly testing. (Chalkbeat) 

    • Without city aid in the latest Senate relief bill, schools face a likely budget cut, leading some to question whether New York has the resources to reopen schools safely. (Gothamist) That concern is especially critical as new data suggests children may carry coronavirus at levels as high as adults. (New York Times) While the study results don’t contend that children are more contagious than previously thought, experts say they should influence the debate on reopening schools. 

    • See how class size impacts school infection risk in this new New York Times graphic.

  • If you’re new to this digest, welcome! Be sure to add us ([email protected]) to the contacts in your inbox so future editions don’t get lost.

Have a good weekend!