COVID-19 Digest: May 11

COVID-19 Digest: May 11

May 11, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Monday, May 11, 2020Please share this with your networks and encourage your colleagues to sign up here. If there are other topics or resources that would be helpful in future editions of this digest, please let us know here.Tech:NYC’s resource guide includes information on government resources for businesses, new health tracking and treatment tools, and a new section with return-to-office preparedness plans and resources. It will be updated regularly.

The Latest in New York

The latest: New York to set national guidelines for new COVID-related symptoms affecting children; breakdown of how the state will reopen after PAUSE order ends; Gov. Cuomo proposes law to condition business relief on hiring; quarantine silver screen: this year in film.Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 337,055 (+6,648)

  • New York City: 185,357 (+3,574)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 21,640 (+595)

*New confirmed case counts are in the aggregate as of our last digest.General Updates:

  • New York’s PAUSE order will be lifted for parts of the state on Friday, at which point reopening plans will shift to more local and regional authorities. The order will remain in effect for NYC. (NY1) More details on that below.

  • Preliminary testing results of 1,300 NYC transit workers showed 14.2 percent positive for antibodies, an infection rate lower than that of the general NYC population, which is 19.9 percent. (Reuters)

  • Three young children in New York have died of an unknown syndrome related to the coronavirus, with another 85 cases of the illness being investigated. (New York Times) The CDC has asked New York to develop national criteria for identifying and responding to the syndrome. (WABC)

  • NYC Police Commissioner Dermot Shea responded to criticism of social distancing enforcement saying it is not racially motivated. Of the 400 social distancing related summonses reported as of last Friday, 80 percent were given to black and brown New Yorkers. (New York Post)

  • One fun thing for a good cause: tonight at 7pm, Robin Hood is bringing together a star-studded lineup to host a relief benefit for New Yorkers impacted by COVID-19. Get more details about how to tune in and contribute here.

One must read: “Just everything”: These Are the Things That New Yorkers Achingly Miss (New York Times)

Survey

Friday's results: Do you think COVID-19 will still be top of mind for voters in November?

  • 94.0%: Yes

  • 6.0%: No

Today’s poll: With New York’s PAUSE order set to be lifted this Friday, the state is now using this checklist of criteria to determine when regions are granted the greenlight to begin reopening. When do you think NYC will successfully meet all the benchmarks to reopen?

  • *|SURVEY: Next month|*

  • *|SURVEY: By the end of summer|*

  • *|SURVEY: In the fall|*

  • *|SURVEY: The end of the year or later|*

Find the poll results from all previous editions of this newsletter here. If you have a question you’d like to ask the broader community in this newsletter, send us your ideas and we’ll try to include them!

What You Need to Know

Reopening New York:

  • Reports over the weekend indicated that Gov. Cuomo quietly extended New York’s PAUSE order to June 7. (New York Post) But administration officials clarified that the order is still set to expire this Friday, May 15. (Twitter)

  • Today, Gov. Cuomo elaborated that, on Friday, reopening decisions will shift to more regional and local authorities. A new dashboard showing each region’s eligibility to reopen can be found here.

    • But before local officials can begin reopening businesses, regions will still be required to meet New York State’s seven metrics on containing the infection rate and maintaining adequate testing and tracing capacity. See the seven metrics here.

    • Once met, regions can move into the Phase 1 of the four-phase business rollout. See an updated list of the four phases here, including which retailers will be permitted to begin providing delivery and pickup services.

    • So far, the Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, and Southern Tier regions have met those metrics and can move into Phase 1. NYC has met four of the seven to date. (NBC New York)

    • To evaluate future reopening protocols, new “regional control rooms” have been named to advise local strategy. (New York Times) NYC’s control room will be led by Mayor de Blasio and include each of the borough presidents and business and labor leaders.

  • Some low-risk businesses will also be allowed to resume statewide on Friday, including landscaping and gardening; low-risk recreational activities like tennis; and drive-in movie theaters. (Twitter)

  • NYC, though, still has a ways to go:

    • The factors that made the city a global hotspot — the density, the mass transit, the tourism — will be exactly the reasons a return to normalcy will be so complicated. (New York Times)

    • There is a glimmer of hope: De Blasio predicted today that, if current trends continue, NYC should be able to begin reopening in next month. (New York Post)

  • New York is setting its sights on the road back to normalcy as other states across the country are eager to do the same, but perhaps too soon:

    • More than half of U.S. states have begun to reopen their economies or plan to do so soon, but most have failed to meet the White House criteria to do so safely. (New York Times)

    • Several recent polls have found that most Americans believe it’s too soon to return to what life was like pre-pandemic. (FiveThirtyEight)

    • But even as a majority are spending much more of their time at home, they’re increasingly moving around more than they were in March and April. (Washington Post)

  • As state officials continue ironing out other details, here’s a handy roundup that’s being updated with everything we do and don’t know about the plans. (New York Magazine)

  • In an editorial piece, Mike Bloomberg says that when businesses can reopen, the top priority needs to be protecting workers, and government officials should outline exactly what safeguards companies should implement and offer a legal safe harbor to those that adhere. (Bloomberg)

RETURN-TO-OFFICE PLANS:

As New York plans its reopening, so too are companies forming their return-to-office strategies. In addition to following federal guidelines, here are more company updates on their current plans:

  • Tech:NYC member CLEAR announced its new Health Pass service that aims to connect COVID-19 status to digital ID. This type of biometric screening is a tool that may help  businesses seeking to reopen. (Axios)

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.

POLICY:

  • New York State is partnering with Northwell Health to set up 24 temporary COVID-19 testing sites at churches in predominantly low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. (CBS News)

  • Mayor de Blasio announced the remaining six sector advisory councils tasked with informing the city’s efforts on reopening the economy and city life. (City of New York)

  • Gov. Cuomo has proposed a federal “Americans First Law” that stipulates if a corporation has laid off employees and does not rehire the same number pre-pandemic, they shouldn’t qualify for government relief funding. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

  • The city is delaying implementation of a new anti-idling enforcement effort, saving the NYPD $2.3 million amidst widespread budget cuts. (New York Daily News) Sorry, Billy.

  • Alternate side parking will remain suspended until May 17. There will be a temporary resumption of ASP the week of May 18-24. (New York Post)

EVENTS:

  • May 12: Virtual: Contact Tracing and Technology: Balancing Public Health & Privacy, with Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. Hosted by Columbia University. (Details)

  • May 12: Virtual: Collaborating for Success: Product and Engineering Leadership, with Dropbox and Northwestern Mutual. Hosted by Advancing Women in Product. (Details)

  • May 13: Webinar: Term Sheets in a Recessionary Environment, with Orrick. Hosted by the Data Future Lab. (Details)

  • May 14: Virtual: Patent Eligibility for Entrepreneurs, with American Patent Agency PC. Hosted by Newlab. (Details)

  • May 14: Virtual: Next Wave: Adaptable Mindsets for a New Reality, with Facebook, Grey Group, and more. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

  • May 19: Virtual: Facebook’s Libra: Where Is It Now?. Hosted by Future\Perfect Ventures and LMHQ. (Details) 

Hollywood at Home:

  • With movie theaters still closed and festivals scrambling, the future of movies this year is still up in the air. (Vox)

  • Hollywood is eager to get back to work, but keeping crews of hundreds of people and large production sets safe will be complicated, and a new set of safety standards will be required. (NBC News)

  • Here’s a comprehensive list of all the movies delayed because of COVID-19, with some announcing new release dates. (Vulture)

  • But others are moving ahead with online releases: here’s six of the most anticipated movies that premiered just this week. (Vox) And here’s 18 more that either shortened or skipped their theatrical releases and are available on-demand from home. (Vulture)

  • You probably wish you invested in that home theater before the pandemic, so here are some tips to make your couch viewing experience better. (GQ) Might we also suggest a Whirley Pop?

  • When the movie about the pandemic gets made, Gov. Cuomo has some ideas about who should play him. (CNN)

When In Doubt

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

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