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COVID-19 Digest: October 5

COVID-19 Digest: October 5

October 05, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Monday, October 5, 2020As NYC’s reopening and recovery efforts continue, the digest will focus on the resources that help you make decisions about your businesses and your lives as New Yorkers.Download COVID Alert NY, the new exposure notification app built by the New York State Dept. of Health and Tech:NYC, here.Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe to get it directly here.

The Latest in New York

The latest: New York plans reopening rollback in nine neighborhoods; Pres. Trump to leave Walter Reed medical center today; NY DOH looks to enforce regional mask compliance with fines; Regal Cinemas closing all US locations.Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 465,515 (+933)
New York City: 246,885 (+468)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,527 (+8)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.5 percent (+0.1 percent)

General Updates:

In the 20 hotspot zip codes across the state, the positivity rate remains at 5.5 percent. (NBC New York) With those excluded, the state’s positivity rate continues to hover around 1 percent.
Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio are closing schools in nine NYC zip codes effective tomorrow — the first such reversal of New York’s reopening strategy. (New York Daily News) More on that and other plans to rollback reopenings below.
With COVID Alert NY, New York’s exposure notification app, now live, there are a total of 10 states using alert apps to support contact tracing efforts, and five more running pilot programs. (CNBC) New York’s app works across state lines, addressing issues with earlier versions of the technology.
As Pres. Trump announced his plans to leave Walter Reed medical center this evening, at least 12 close aides and other officials have now reported testing positive for coronavirus, including most recently Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. (New York Times) The chaos at the White House has put renewed attention on testing and tracing, and as we learn more about how far the infections have spread, there are lessons for any business or organization’s workplace. (New York Times) Importantly: testing is a critical tool, but not all tests are made the same, and one negative result doesn't mean you’re in the clear.
Be sure to get your flu shot. The flu shares most symptoms with COVID-19, and short of a test, it’s hard to differentiate between them. But here are some clues to help detect the difference. (New York Times)
And quick reminder: the deadline to register to vote in New York State is this Friday, Oct. 9. Get registered here, or check that your registration is active and accurate here.

One good read: I Traveled to 52 Places. Then I Discovered New York on My Bike (New York Times)

Survey

The latest results: Do you think there needs to be a federal mask mandate, or should it remain up to the states?

88.0%: There should be a national mask mandate
7.0%: The states should decide individually
5.0%: There should be no mask mandates

Today’s poll: The decision to rollback school reopenings in certain NYC neighborhoods experiencing rising COVID cases is the first of its kind since the city shut down in March. If infection rates continue to rise, restaurant reopenings could be paused and other nonessential businesses will be forced to close again. Do you think isolated lockdowns are the right strategy?

*|SURVEY: Yes, we should assess rollbacks on a case-by-case basis|*
*|SURVEY: No, we should implement rollbacks citywide|*
*|SURVEY: No, we should not implement rollbacks of any kind|*

Find the poll results from all previous editions of this newsletter here.

What You Need to Know

What to Know: Reopening:

Schools — public, private, and religious — in NYC’s nine hotspot zip codes will be required to close beginning tomorrow. (NY1) Affected schools will move to entirely remote learning.
- The measure is being put in place while the state finds a more accurate template for assessing which schools should fall under closure orders. Zip codes are arbitrary markers that don’t necessarily correspond with the highest-risk neighborhoods or account for students who move across zip code lines to go to school.
Gov. Cuomo announced the state will now oversee enforcement in those affected areas, with personnel provided by the locality. He outlined other forthcoming steps to respond to high infection rates in those areas. (NBC New York)
- The governor is meeting with religious community leaders tomorrow to get agreement on social distancing and capacity guidelines and enforcement. Noncompliance will force the closure of religious institutions in those places.
- Additional guidance for public spaces and nonessential businesses in those areas is being reviewed, and closures will be instituted if infection rates don’t improve. No changes to restaurant reopening plans have been announced so far.
The State Dept. of Health will create a new framework for local governments to report their mask enforcement efforts, and those governments that fail to adequately enforce those guidelines could face fines of up to $10,000. (NY State of Politics)
Regal Cinemas, the second largest cinema chain in the US, is closing all of its locations nationwide following new postponements of big-budget film releases. It is unclear when they will reopen. (Wall Street Journal)