COVID-19 Digest: June 18

COVID-19 Digest: June 18

June 18, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Thursday, June 18, 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 expecting Monday Phase II, pending final green light from Gov. Cuomo; Juneteenth is tomorrow, many companies are observing with a day off; outdoor restaurants and playgrounds approved for Phase II; half of Americans afraid to return to the office, new Korn Ferry survey finds.Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 385,760 (+618)

  • New York City: 211,260 (+319)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 24,661 (+29)

  • Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.0 percent (-0.2 percent)

General Updates

  • While Mayor de Blasio seemed to confirm NYC will move into Phase II on Monday, Gov. Cuomo said experts are still reviewing data to ensure the city is ready. The governor says the final decision will come tomorrow, but businesses should move ahead with preparations to reopen on Monday. (Gothamist)

  • For the second day in the row, the amount of tests conducted statewide that returned positive results was under one percent, marking another record low since the outset of the pandemic. (New York Daily News)

  • The city’s Rent Guidelines Board approved a measure to freeze rents for 2.3 million residents of rent-regulated apartments for a year. (New York Times) This comes with the eviction moratorium also still in effect until August 20. 

  • Gov. Cuomo is considering mandating a 14-day quarantine for people coming to the state from Florida. (Bloomberg)

One opportunity: Today, NYC is facing some of its biggest challenges. Tomorrow, you could help guide its recovery. Learn why Coro's Leadership New York program is your place to begin building a better, more equitable NYC. Learn more here and register here to join their interactive info session on June 23. One fun read: Meet the brave souls psyched to move to NYC right now (New York Post)

Survey

Yesterday's results: What will your car usage look like when you begin traveling regularly again?

  • 42.2%: I already have a car that I use to travel

  • 9.7%: I don’t yet have a car, but plan to get one to use for travel

  • 20.8%: I don’t plan to get a car, but plan to travel more often using ride hailing services, rental cars, or other cars

  • 27.3%: I don’t plan to travel more often via car

Today’s poll: Yesterday, Gov. Cuomo signed an executive order recognizing the Juneteenth holiday and is advancing legislation to make it a permanent state holiday moving forward. Many businesses are also taking steps to observe it. Is your company observing Juneteenth with time off?

  • *|SURVEY: Yes|*

  • *|SURVEY: No|*

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

Juneteenth:

  • Tomorrow is Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the emancipation of slavery in the US. Here’s a brief guide of its historical roots and how it’s celebrated. (New York Times)

  • This year the day has become a centerpoint of companies’ response to the current national reckoning of racial discrimination. Here’s what some of the country’s largest employers are doing. (Dealbook)

  • HellaJuneteenth, a site launched by a group of Black tech creatives, is compiling resources about the holiday, including a database of 400+ companies who have committed to observing it.

  • Tech:NYC is proud to join many of our members in closing tomorrow in observance. If your company is closing to observe Juneteenth, or providing any other relevant resources, we’d love to hear more about those plans.

What to Know: Reopening:

  • Mayor de Blasio confirmed this morning that NYC is ready to move into Phase II on Monday. (NBC New York) But Gov. Cuomo said a final decision will be announced tomorrow. (Gothamist)

  • As a part of Phase II, playgrounds will reopen on Monday. (New York Post) And Mayor de Blasio estimated that 5,000 restaurants will reopen with an outdoor seating plan. (AP)

  • New York State issued new guidance today for colleges and universities preparing for the fall semester, allowing for some residential and in-person programming. Campuses must develop a plan, which attests to meeting the guidance, and file the plans with the State. (NY State of Politics)

  • Gov. Cuomo announced he was signing an executive order strengthening State enforcement of reopening rules. Violations of official state guidelines can result in an immediate loss of liquor licenses and/or a shut down order for businesses. Bars are also responsible for the sidewalk space outside their establishments. (ABC New York) 

What to Know: Return-to-Office:

  • Follow these steps before returning to the office (Bloomberg)

  • Half of American professionals afraid to return to the office because of COVID-19 (CBS News)

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:

  • June 19: Virtual: Owning our Future, with Backstage Capital’s Arlan Hamilton, Harlem Capital’s Jarrid Tingle, Y Combinator’s Michael Siebel, and more. (Details) 

  • June 19: Virtual: News Shapers Commemorating Juneteenth, with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Valerie Jarrett, BET founder Robert Johnson, and Campaign Zero co-founder DeRay McKesson. Hosted by Axios. (Details)

  • June 20: Virtual: brunchwork at home, with Eniac Ventures founding partner Nihal Mehta. Hosted by brunchwork. Use code TECHNYC30 for 30% off. (Details)

  • June 25: Virtual: Insider’s Guide to Renting in NYC, with Streeteasy experts and State Sen. Brian Benjamin on data-driven insights to your rights as a renter. Hosted by Streeteasy. (Details)

  • June 29 – 30: Virtual: Veterans Future Lab Summit, with Sebastian Junger, NYU Tandon Dean Jelena Kovačević, NYC Dept. of Veterans’ Services James Hendon, and more. Hosted by the Veterans Future Lab. (Details)

When In Doubt

Check these sources for verified information from government agencies and public health authorities:

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