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COVID-19 Digest: June 29

COVID-19 Digest: June 29

June 29, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Monday, June 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: Gov. Cuomo may stall NYC’s indoor dining plan; COVID cases rising in 32 states; NYC expands Open Street program for restaurants ahead of July 4th weekend; EU to allow tourists from approved countries starting July 1, US will not be one.Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 392,930 (+391)
New York City: 214,939 (+189)
Statewide Fatalities: 24,842 (+8)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.0 percent (-0.1 percent)

General Updates:

The global tally of known coronavirus cases passed 10 million on Sunday, and the global death toll has hit 500,000. (New York Times) More than a quarter of those deaths have been in the US.
A growing number of states are experiencing a spike of new cases, prompting some to reverse reopening plans amid the threat of a nationwide second surge. (CNN) More on that below.
Gov. Cuomo may delay NYC’s Phase III reopening on Monday because of a lack of social distancing in the city and rising case numbers in other states. A final decision will come Wednesday. (NBC New York) New Jersey indefinitely postponed its plan to resume indoor dining on Thursday due to the resurgence of cases nationwide. (NJ Advance)
Mayor de Blasio sent a proposal to cut $1 billion from the NYPD budget to the City Council today. The NYC budget, which likely will come to a vote tomorrow, is expected to total $87 billion. (POLITICO)
The New York State Police will launch a Fireworks Enforcement Detail to prevent illegal fireworks from being brought into the state. (New York Daily News)
Broadway has extended its closure and will remain dark for the rest of the year. (Vulture)

One good read: New York Is Ending Its Lockdown. Am I Ready to End Mine? (Vogue)

Survey

The latest results: Have the new travel advisory restrictions affected your upcoming summer travel plans?

8.0%: Yes, I have changed my plans
6.4%: I’m considering changing plans
85.6%: No, my plans haven’t changed

Today’s poll: Some consumers and businesses have stopped using cash over fears it could transmit coronavirus. Contactless payment systems were gaining traction before the pandemic because of ease of use, but now they may be a necessity for public health and safety. How has your cash use changed during the pandemic?

*|SURVEY: I use the same amount of cash as before.|*
*|SURVEY: I use less cash than before.|*
*|SURVEY: I use more cash than before.|*
*|SURVEY: I never used cash and don't plan to start.|*

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

A National Snapshot:

The second surge is here. At least 32 states are now seeing increases in coronavirus cases. This New York Times tracker is mapping the latest.
Many of these states are seeing new outbreaks, in part, because they didn’t build up their public health tools enough ahead of time. (Axios)
And now at least 12 of them are pausing reopening plans over the surge. (CNN) Notably:
- Texas is fast becoming the new epicenter of the pandemic. (Bloomberg) Houston-area ICU beds are now 95 percent full, and 55 days after restaurant reopenings, the state reversed course, closing bars back down, scaling back capacity in restaurants to 50 percent, and pausing all future reopening plans. (Texas Tribune)
- Florida, citing widespread noncompliance of safe reopening guidelines, shut bars back down. (NBC News) Beaches in the Keys and elsewhere in the Miami area will close ahead of the July 4th holiday due to the spike. (Miami Herald)
- Arizona reported its highest single-day count of new cases yesterday. (New York Post) The state is ramping up enforcement against bars and restaurants not adequately adhering to safety guidelines, but has stopped short of issuing any further shutdown orders. (Arizona Daily Star)
- California has rolled back the reopening of bars in seven counties, including Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times) Fifteen counties are on a watch list of hotspots across the state where the outbreak is being monitored. (San Francisco Chronicle)
In response, New York is taking extra precaution in hopes of avoiding being added to the list of states seeing an uptick. Travel restrictions from high-risk states remain in effect, and some types of businesses may reopen later than expected. (New York Post)
A national response is long overdue: Gov. Cuomo today called on Pres. Trump to sign an executive order requiring everyone to wear a mask in public. (Reuters)

What to Know: Reopening:

Here’s a very helpful dashboard mapping the city’s more than 6,000 open restaurants, with filters for seating type and alcohol service. (NYC DOT)
Beginning today, NYC will expand its Open Streets program to allow for further outdoor dining, making it possible for restaurants to apply to take over an entire block. The expansion would begin July 4th weekend and be permitted to operate during subsequent weekends. (NY1)
The Western New York region will move into Phase IV tomorrow. (Buffalo News)
The European Union approved a plan to allow foreign travelers beginning July 1, but the US is on the list of countries excluded from the agreement due to the country’s surging outbreak. (Washington Post)
In other travel news: American Airlines will resume booking flights to full capacity beginning July 1. (The Verge) United Airlines will continue booking with a similar policy.
The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony is returning to NYC on August 30 at the Barclays Center, following all safety guidelines including limited or no audience. (New York Daily News)