COVID-19 Digest: March 24

COVID-19 Digest: March 24

March 24, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Tuesday, March 24, 2020Tech:NYC’s COVID-19 resource guide is available here. It’s updated daily with the latest info from across the NYC tech sector.Email us at [email protected] with anything you’d like to see included in an upcoming email or with other feedback. Please share this with your networks and encourage your colleagues to sign up here.One of the reasons we started this digest was to share our members’ various guidelines for employees as the coronavirus spread in NYC. Now that basically all of our network is working from home, we’re beginning to consider the next phase of impacts for our community. This digest will evolve to do the same — as the nature of the pandemic evolves, so too will our community’s responses and needs. If there are other topics or resources that would be helpful in future editions of this digest, please let us know here.

The Latest in New York

The latest: NYS launches technology SWAT team model to address pandemic; ventilators in high demand and short supply; today’s poll on your shopping habits; and a few ways you can still access the city’s art scene.Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 25,665 (+4,790)

  • New York City: 14,904 (+2,599)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 210 (+53)

General Updates:

  • New York State just launched an initiative to partner with companies and employees on technology products and services to accelerate and amplify the state response to COVID-19. If you or your company are interested in getting involved, head here. Tech:NYC is proud to support this effort. (New York State)

  • New York now has over 25,000 confirmed cases, and the rate of new infections is doubling every three days. (New York Times)

  • FEMA is sending 400 ventilators to NYC, but we need 30,000. Gov. Cuomo has asked the federal government to send its stockpile to the state and force companies to produce more via the Defense Production Act. (The Hill)

  • Echoing pleas from other politicians and corporate executives, Gov. Cuomo has called for independent contractors to be protected in the proposed federal relief package. (POLITICO)

  • MTA Chairman Pat Foye calls for an urgent infusion of federal money into New York’s transportation system. (New York Times Opinion) 

Request: One Million Masks is a fundraising initiative spearheaded by NewsCred to get one million desperately needed masks into the hands of health workers. Both individual and business donations are encouraged. For more details, click here or reach out to NewsCred CEO Shafqat Islam here.

 

Survey

Monday’s results: Over the weekend, many New Yorkers flocked to our city's great parks, where social distancing was not consistently practiced. On Sunday, Gov. Cuomo gave the Mayor and City Council Speaker 24 hours to come up with a plan to address crowding. What do you think the city should do?

  • 30.1%: Close the parks

  • 44.9%: Keep the parks open, but close playgrounds, athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts

  • 22.2%: Keep everything open, but stronger enforcement of social distancing

  • 2.8%: Keep things as are

Today’s flash survey:

Plenty has changed in the last week. We want to get a sense of how your behaviors are changing as well. As always, answers are anonymous and results will be shared tomorrow.

Are you ordering in prepared food:

Are you getting groceries and other essentials delivered:

What You Need to Know

COMPANY GUIDANCE: When an employer tests positive for COVID-19:Disclaimer: While the below contains legal guidance/resources, the facts on the ground are regularly changing, and you should be sure to consult with lawyers before undertaking any action. 

  • Fisher Phillips: assembled a taskforce of attorneys to offer information and answers on the many employment-related issues facing companies due to COVID-19.

  • Justworks: provides an answer on whether you can tell other employees (Hint: you can, as long as you maintain confidentiality in accordance with ADA).

  • Ogeltree Deakins: offers answers to common questions on employment and labor law, and lays out guidance from federal government agencies.

  • Proskauer: explains privacy considerations for employers when communicating about sick employees. 

  • Quinn Emannuel: has an in-depth Q/A on whether you can ask about an employee’s medical status, how you can disseminate information on any employees testing positive, and how to handle employee-customer contact.

WORKPLACE TOOLS: 

  • Branch: offering discounted home office furniture packages for the NYC tech community, including free delivery, assembly and a 1:1 consultation to configure your chair and desk for a perfect fit. Visit this link to view packages, or contact Branch if you're a founder and want to create custom pricing / packages for your remote team.

  • Casebook PBC: a new resource guide for caseworkers, including an in-depth collection of official state and federal government sites related to coronavirus.

  • Hyro: providing their Natural-Language based virtual assistant for free to support healthcare organizations and help educate the public. The omnichannel solution can be deployed instantly and provide risk assessment, triage symptoms, and deliver accurate, real-time information from verified sources such as the CDC and WHO.

  • LinkedIn: a new Daily Rundown of editorially-curated coronavirus resources.

  • Slack: a guide on best practices for using Slack while your teams are fully remote, available in multiple languages.

  • Squarefoot: offering free consultations to companies to help identify ways to reduce their real estate costs, including a review/abstract of your current lease, guidance on renegotiation opportunities, and more. Reach out here for more details. 

  • Reminder: Tech:NYC’s COVID-19 resource guide is available here.

  • Request: please let us know as your work-from-home policies are extended or what plans your companies have as they are reassessed. Sharing this information is helpful to companies and employees across the NYC ecosystem and can be kept anonymous.

  • Read: An interview with the former deputy commissioner of New York’s office of emergency management: What A Coronavirus Recovery Could Look Like (CityLab)

POLICY UPDATES:

  • Congress is inching closer to an agreement on a massive COVID-19 stimulus package. However, there remain a number of disagreements over issues like SNAP benefits and airline bailout terms. (The Hill) 

  • During COVID-19 stimulus package negotiations, several members of Congress have raised the idea of creating a “digital dollar” to distribute relief funds. While the concept was included in early drafts, it has been removed from the latest House version. (Yahoo Finance)

EVENTS:

  • March 25 – 26: Webinar: Cash Conservation Strategies for Startups. Hosted by Perkins Coie. (Details)

  • March 25: Webinar: Navigating the Remote Workplace. Hosted by Eden, Donut, Electric, and Justworks. (Details)

  • March 25: Webinar: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on Business, with Tech:NYC, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, and the NYC Hospitality Alliance. Hosted by Savills (with our own Julie Samuels!). (Details)

  • March 26: Virtual: Veteran VCs Talk About Weathering Tough Times, with Foundry Group and Spark Capital. Hosted by Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. (Details)

  • March 26: Tech:NYC Virtual Book Club: Golden Gates with Conor Dougherty. (RSVP for login instructions)

  • March 29: Virtual: brunchwork from home with Google’s Head of UX Design and the founder of Oatly. Hosted by brunchwork. Use code VIPFRIENDS to get 40% off. (Details)

  • April 3: Virtual: The Combine Demo Day, featuring the Combine 2020 cohort. Hosted by the NYC Media Lab. (Details)

NYC Art & Culture From Your Couch:

  • Brooklyn Museum: created #ArtfortheSociallyDistanced, a new initiative highlighting a new piece of art daily and sharing why it’s on their minds.

  • Lincoln Center at Home: hosting a new arts portal streaming free daily activities. The Pop-up Classroom and #ConcertsforKids sessions are particularly good for kids stuck at home.

  • Street art: take virtual tours of NYC’s most vivid street murals with a full 360-degree line of sight, courtesy of Google’s Art & Culture platform.

  • The Metropolitan Opera: hosting nightly Met Opera streams while their stage is dark. Encore performances are made available for free at 7:30pm EST each night on their website or the Met Opera on Demand app on most platforms.

  • 92Y: a full list of concerts and events, both live and archived, made available for free. They’re also offering a list of free online courses to fill up your free time.

  • When in doubt, #MuseumBouquet and #MuseumatHome are both good follows on Twitter if you need a moment of levity in your day.

When In Doubt

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