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COVID-19 Digest: May 13

COVID-19 Digest: May 13

May 13, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Wednesday, May 13, 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: NYS unemployment claims reach $7.4 billion; US airline passengers have dropped 94 percent, how the industry is responding; City Council passes commission cap on third-party delivery services; virtual galleries keep museums and artists connected.Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 340,661 (+2,176)
New York City: 187,250 (+1,127)
Statewide Fatalities: 22,013 (+166)

General Updates:

The Dept. of Health is investigating 102 cases of the rare inflammation syndrome in children; 60 percent of those have tested positive for COVID-19 and 40 percent tested are positive for the antibodies. Cases have also been reported in 14 other states and five European countries. (Forbes)
Gov. Cuomo says New York needs $61 billion in state and local aid to avoid critical cuts to education and healthcare in the state. (NY State of Politics)
New York State has processed 1.8 million unemployment claims and paid out roughly $7.4 billion in related benefits since the beginning of the pandemic, including payments to independent contractors and gig workers. (Bloomberg)
The North Country region has met all the metrics to begin reopening when the PAUSE order is lifted on Friday. It joins three others that will begin reopening, while NYC and the remaining five regions will remain on PAUSE. (Bloomberg)
NYC is adding 12 more miles of open streets this week, plus nine miles of protected bike lanes before the end of the month. (Gothamist)
New data show that venture capital investments are down approximately 25 percent from pre-COVID levels. (Axios)

One must read: from Gov. Cuomo as Congress considers the HEROES Act: What Washington Must Do To Protect Workers (Washington Post)

Survey

Yesterday's results: When would you be comfortable traveling for the first time again?

17.5%: In the next month
23.7%: By the end of summer
17.5%: In the fall
41.2%: The end of the year or later

Today’s poll: Most people are still unwilling to get on a plane right now, and only 14 percent of would-be travelers said they would be willing to fly immediately after restrictions are lifted. When you are willing to fly again, what will it be for?

*|SURVEY: Business|*
*|SURVEY: Visiting family|*
*|SURVEY: Vacation or leisure|*
*|SURVEY: I can't even imagine flying right now|*

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

A New Normal for Air Travel:

Passenger volume in the U.S. has dropped about 94 percent during the pandemic. (New York Times) Scarcity, low demand, and the uncertainty around ongoing public health risks mean air travel will likely be very bad, for a very long time. (The Atlantic)
But just because most passengers are grounded doesn’t mean the planes are: airlines are being adapted into cargo and freight carriers, making repatriation flights for nationals stuck abroad, and transporting medics volunteering to serve in hard-hit areas across the U.S. (CNN)
And despite plummeting demand, airlines are still servicing what are now being called ghost routes — those large flights with almost no passengers you see go viral on social media — because the CARES Act bailout money requires airlines receiving aid to continue flying to every domestic destination they already serve. (Business Insider)
While most flights are still eerily empty, some have been surprised to find that fewer planes have meant fuller planes, making social distancing impossible. (New York Times)
The impact that COVID-19 has on air travel will be long and complex, and flyers should anticipate a lot of changes.
- Among them: unpredictable border closings and inconsistent flight schedules, but also touch-less, self-service check-ins and automated, biometric security lines. (Forbes)
- Airports themselves are also likely to look very different. (Conde Nast Traveler)
- Expect everything to be slower: security lines will be extra precautions, there will be crack-downs on checked and carry-on luggage, and temperature checks at the gates will drag out boarding. (The Atlantic)
At NYC’s three area airports, nearly all of the airport bars, restaurants, and stores are closed, with just a few open to sell “grab and go” food. (New York Times)
Among the ideas being floated for how to entice people back into the skies: “immunity passports” that certify a traveller has contracted and recovered from COVID-19 or received the vaccine. (Washington Post)
As always, be sure to follow official CDC guidance when making decisions about travel plans. (CDC)

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:

Apple employees will reportedly return to physical offices soon. Employees are scheduled to return in two phases. (The Verge)
Johns Hopkins released a toolkit to help business owners who are considering reopening or expanding their operations to determine their establishments’ risk of transmission of COVID-19 and how to reduce it. The Operational Toolkit consists of 3 parts: an instruction manual, a business risk worksheet, and an assessment calculator.
The New York State Bar Association has provided guidance for law firms on when and how they should attempt to safely reopen. (Bloomberg Law)