COVID-19 Digest: June 25

COVID-19 Digest: June 25

June 25, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Thursday, June 25, 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: Research finds no uptick in cases following BLM protests; NYC on track for Phase III by July 6; SBA and Treasury update guidance for PPP loan forgiveness; read how Lunchbox is digitally enabling restaurants in today’s Company to Watch.Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 390,415 (+749)

  • New York City: 213,699 (+351)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 24,800 (+17)

  • Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.2 percent (no change)

General Updates:

  • The number of hospitalizations in New York has fallen to 996 — dropping below 1,000 for the first time since the pandemic began. (The Hill)

  • This comes in stark contrast to much of the rest of the US, which hit the highest single day increase of new cases at more than 45,500, breaking the previous record in April. (NBC News)

  • Mayor de Blasio announced that any New Yorker can receive a free antibody test at certain sites with results available within 24 hours. (NBC New York)

  • The Tri-state’s new travel advisory has prompted questions over who it applies to and how it will be enforced. Here’s a breakdown of how it affects visitors from nine states so far. (Vogue) And starting today, New York will begin monitoring flights entering the state and randomly checking passengers to ensure they are following quarantine protocols. (Democrat & Chronicle) The advisory will be updated regularly — keep your eye on the latest here.

  • Now several weeks since the Black Lives Matter protests swept the country, research shows they have not led to a spike in new coronavirus cases. (CNN)

  • The New York Times analyzed travel patterns, genetic data, and COVID infection spread across the US. Explore the interactive map here. 

  • One new thing: today, with our partners at NYC Economic Development Corporation, Tech:NYC released Startup Genome’s 2020 Global Startup Ecosystem Report. This year’s ranking compared almost 300 tech ecosystems across the world, and NYC once again took the #2 spot. Find the latest data on the health of the city’s tech sector here.  

One opportunity: As businesses prepare to reopen and bring employees back, NYCEDC is looking for a partner to create a digital marketplace that will facilitate sales between NYC-based PPE suppliers and NYC-based businesses providing PPE to their employees. Proposals are due July 2. Learn more here.One good read: our co-chair Fred Wilson shared some early and proactive steps to take to address board diversity at tech companies. (AVC)

Survey

The latest results: Now that salons and barbers are open for appointments, what’s your styling status?

  • 26.5%: I already go a haircut

  • 24.3%: I’ve booked an appointment for a haircut in the near future

  • 49.2%: I haven’t or don’t plan to get a haircut anytime soon

Today’s poll: Yesterday, NY, NJ, CT together implemented a joint advisory placing travel restrictions on those coming into the three states from nine other states where the coronavirus spread is increasing. Has the new restriction affected your upcoming summer travel plans?

  • *|SURVEY: Yes, I have changed my plans |*

  • *|SURVEY: I'm considering changing my plans|*

  • *|SURVEY: No, my plans haven't changed|*

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

What to Know: Reopening:

  • Mayor de Blasio announced that NYC is on track to move into Phase III on Monday, July 6. (New York Daily News) At that point, indoor dining and personal care services will be permitted to reopen.

  • Five upstate regions are expected to move into Phase IV tomorrow. (NBC New York)

  • But there’s one new caveat: malls, gyms, and movie theaters in New York won’t be permitted to reopen in Phase IV as previously expected. (New York Post)

  • New York restaurants may continue selling takeout beer, wine, and cocktails for at least another 30 days. (Times Union) The order allowing for takeout drinks was set to expire on Saturday.

Related reading:

  • New Yorkers Who Fled Lockdown Struggle to Plot Return to the City (Bloomberg)

What to Know: Return-to-Office:

  • Updated guidance from the Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department has clarified how businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loan funding can get them forgiven. (Crain’s NY) June 30 is the last day to apply for a PPP loan.

  • IBM’s chief medical officer said the company is in no rush to bring people back, noting that productivity is second to the health and safety of their workforce. (CNN)

Related reading:

  • Only A Trickle of Wall Street Workers Return for NYC’s Reopening (Bloomberg) 

One Company to Watch:

LUNCHBOX

What does your company do?

Lunchbox co-founder and CEO Nabeel Alamgir: Lunchbox enables restaurants of all sizes to deliver the best digital ordering experiences to their customers by simplifying the solution. By creating powerful omnichannel systems, restaurants are able to take back their digital real estate.

Help Main Street, a tool for connecting local businesses to cash support through COVID-19, came online at a pretty impressive speed at the outset of the pandemic. Why did you decide to build a tool like that, and how have you seen it grow over the last few months?

NA: It was definitely a weekend sprint. The idea for Help Main Street came into being when I had a discussion with Nihal Mehta of Eniac Ventures at the beginning of the outbreak when restaurants were mandated to close. From there we pulled together a team Saturday night and by the following Tuesday we had our first MVP live hosting over 100 businesses across New York City. Today we have over 125,000 locations live on the platform and have raised over $500k for local businesses.

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 26: Virtual: RENDER: Remote World, with Squad, Simon Data, General Catalyst, and more. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (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)

  • June 30: Virtual: Founder’s Fieldnotes: Playing the long game: defining a way forward, with Crossbeam CEO Bob Moore. Hosted by Stripe. (Details)

  • July 9: Virtual: Tech Runway Digital Demo Day, with Becoco, Heuritech, Reflaunt, and more. Hosted by the NY Tech Fashion Lab. (Details)

  • July 9: Virtual: brunchwork at home, with Founders Fund and M12, Microsoft’s venture fund. Hosted by brunchwork. Use code TECHNYC30 for 30% off. (Details)

When In Doubt

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

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