COVID-19 Digest: May 20

COVID-19 Digest: May 20

May 20, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Wednesday, May 20, 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 payout passes $10 billion; sports teams are devising safe seasons; local healthcare providers help bring testing to public housing; maintaining fitness while gym-less. Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 354,370 (+1,525)

  • New York City: 194,550 (+729)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 22,976 (+112)

General Updates:

  • New York State has surpassed $10 billion on unemployment benefits paid to more than 2 million residents during the course of the pandemic. The Dept. of Labor is still processing a backlog of 7,580 claims. (NY State of Politics)

  • Beginning Thursday, religious gatherings of ten people or less will be allowed where participants wear masks and social distancing is enforced. Drive-in and parking lot services will also be allowed. (New York Times)

  • Preliminary antibody test results from church sites set up in lower-income neighborhoods have provided new data on the rates of infection in those communities and communities of color. The Bronx had the highest number of positive tests at 34 percent, the NYC average is 19.9 percent. (CNBC)

  • Despite nearly 25 percent of New Yorkers unable to pay rent this month, (The Real Deal), and leasing falling by nearly 70 percent in Manhattan and Brooklyn, average rent prices have either stayed the same or increased in those boroughs. (Crain’s NY)

  • All 50 states have begun to reopen to some degree, but there are vast discrepancies in their strategies. (New York Times) Absent a formal announcement, the CDC posted 60 pages of guidance for reopening different sectors of society. (CNBC)

One must read: There Is No Escaping New York. Take It From Someone Who Escaped. (GEN Magazine) 

Survey

Yesterday's results: When do you think you will feel comfortable sitting down in a restaurant or bar again for the first time?

  • 17.9%: As soon as possible 

  • 27.2%: Later in the summer

  • 28.1%: In the fall or winter

  • 26.4%: Not until 2021

Today’s poll: Gov. Cuomo is working with sports teams and league officials to develop plans for professional sports to resume this summer. Do you think games can come back safely by then?

  • *|SURVEY: Yes.|*

  • *|SURVEY: Yes, but only in empty venues with no fans.|*

  • *|SURVEY: No, not yet.|*

  • *|SURVEY: No, this year's seasons should just be cancelled.|*

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

Sports seasons:

As New York and states across the country look to a summer marked by a reopening economy, industries are advancing their plans to get back in business. Yesterday we shared a roundup of how restaurants and bars are hoping reopen their doors, and today, here’s an update on another industry Americans are eager to welcome back — sports:  

  • People really miss sports. (The Atlantic) They have always been considered an institution that brings people together, especially in tumultuous times. (Forbes)

  • On March 8, NASCAR was the first to officially postpone its season. The NBA followed three days later, prompting virtually every other major group to immediately do the same. (FiveThirtyEight)

  • But now ten weeks in, Gov. Cuomo says New York is ready for professional sports to reopen and is encouraging major teams to make reopening plans to play without fans. (CBS News)

    • Other states, like California and Texas, have called for similar moves as long as case counts continue to decline. (ESPN)

    • But fanless games mean a significant loss of revenue, and the economic calculus for teams to return will be a challenge. (New York Daily News)

  • All the major leagues — NBA, WNBA, MLB, MLS, NHL — haven’t yet arrived at those plans to resume their seasons, but the NFL is optimistic it will move forward with its unchanged September start. (New York Times)

  • Here’s the status of some other sports events this season:

    • The Belmont Stakes, not the Kentucky Derby, will kick off this year’s Triple Crown, running a shorter distance and with no live spectators. The Kentucky Derby was moved to the fall. (New York Times)

    • The PGA Tour was moved to June, and the Masters was moved to November. (New York Times)

    • The Summer Olympics and the Parlaympics were both moved a full year from their original dates, now taking place summer 2021. Officials said if COVID-19 still poses a threat by that time, they will just be cancelled. (USA Today)

  • Even if games resumed, fans would still likely not come — polling shows that most Americans wouldn’t attend an sporting event in person right now, even if restrictions were lifted. (FiveThirtyEight) So if they do return, it will likely be to empty stadiums, forcing fans to cheer from afar. This is what watching sports looks like now. (New York Times)

  • And in some places, in lieu of games being held, sports venues are being repurposed: Yankee Stadium is set to become a drive-in concert and movie venue this summer. (Travel + Leisure)

  • At the end of the day, while we know that Americans are antsy for sports to return, that doesn’t mean it’s yet safe to do so. It probably isn’t. (New York Magazine)

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 some updates on company plans:

  • Chartbeat is closed until NY PAUSE is lifted and will then operate on a reduced occupancy plan starting at 5% of capacity, working up to 30% until at least Labor Day. During the reduced occupancy time frame, WFH is encouraged for all but the office is open for those who will need it. 

  • Chime extended WFH through Labor Day.

  • Coinbase announced that post-COVID-19 it will be a "remote-first" company, offering the option to work in an office or remotely for the "vast majority" of roles

  • Facebook to limit offices to 25% capacity upon reopening and require masks at work. 

  • PepsiCo extended WFH through Labor Day.

  • Reddit extended WFH through Labor Day.

  • American Express is providing the option to WFH until 2021.

Related reading:

  • Goldman Reopens Eight European Offices With Rigid Staff Checks (Bloomberg)  

  • Companies Weigh the Potential of Permanent Work from Home (Axios)

  • Never Go Back To the Office (The Atlantic)

  • How To Lead When Employees Fear Returning to Work Post-COVID (Inc.)

  • The Cognizant Center for the Future of Work released new research on the post-COVID outlook and lead indicators to expect. (Cognizant)

Return-to-commuting:

  • What commuting in NYC will look like after the coronavirus (New York Post)

  • The MTA Is Testing Out UV Lights To Zap Coronavirus (Gothamist)

  • As in 1918, New York May Use Staggered Work Hours to Keep Subway Safe (New York Times)

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 SOMOS Community Care to open 28 additional testing sites in faith-based sites, and Ready Responders will expand testing to 40 public housing developments. (CNBC)

  • Homeless adults in dense shelters face some of the highest mortality rates. The city is facing staffing shortage and political deadlock as advocates work to move thousands more homeless into vacant hotel rooms. (POLITICO) 

  • Transportation advocacy and neighborhood groups have petitioned Mayor de Blasio to expand the Open Streets plan to more areas and improve alternative transportation methods. (Streetsblog)

  • Alternate side parking rules returned Monday, bringing with it both a sense of normalcy and headache for car-driving New Yorkers — if only for another week. (New York Times)

  • Five finalists for the state’s “Wear A Mask” video PSA contest were announced. Voting is through May 25, and the winner will be announced May 26. (wearamask.ny.gov)

EVENTS:

  • May 22: Virtual: Getting Your Next Startup Job in a Downturn, with Brooklyn Bridge Ventures founder and partner Charlie O’Donnell. (Details)

  • May 26: Virtual: Return to Work for Technology Companies, with Sequoia. Hosted by Stride. (Details)

  • May 27: Virtual: Saving our Region’s Public Transportation Systems and Building For Tomorrow, as part of the 2020 RPA Assembly. Hosted by the Regional Plan Association. (Details)

  • May 27: Virtual: Fireside Chat with Birchbox Co-founder and CEO Katia Beauchamp. Hosted by SoGal Foundation. (Details)

  • May 28: Webinar: Financial and Economic Impact on NY Amid The Pandemic, with Comptroller Scott Stringer and Superintendent Linda Lacewell. (Details)

Gym-less personal fitness:

  • Sourdough starters are cute, but nothing kills time like running a marathon at home. (Runner’s World) If you’re getting into running for the first time during the pandemic, here’s everything you need to know. (Washington Post)

  • People are antsy about being stuck inside, and more people biking for exercise and some fresh air, leading to a shortage of bikes across the U.S. (New York Times)

  • Here’s some good best practices for wearing a mask when you’re exercising outside and around others. (Fast Company) 

  • Here’s some insights from health experts on how to safely return to exercise if you’ve contracted and recovered from COVID-19. (New York Times)

  • At-home workouts will likely change fitness culture for the long term. (Bustle)

  • Tech:NYC’s resident fitness expert (and external affairs director) Bryan Lozano shares a few basic quarantine workout routines he’s built.

When In Doubt

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

Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.