COVID-19 Digest: September 10

COVID-19 Digest: September 10

September 10, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Thursday, September 10, 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.Below and in our resource guide, you’ll find the latest information on government resources for businesses, city and state reopening measures, and return-to-office preparedness plans. If this can be useful to your colleagues and network, encourage them to sign up here.

The Latest in New York

The latest: Latest Senate relief package falls through with no Democratic support; MTA will issue $50 fines for riders refusing to wear masks; Goldman Sachs using rotational approach to get workers back to the office; read how Upsolve helps low-income families navigate bankruptcy solutions in our newest Companies to Watch.Confirmed Cases: 

  • New York State: 441,911 (+757)

  • New York City: 236,983 (+336)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 25,377 (+7)

  • Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.0 percent (+0.3 percent)

General Updates:

  • The global death toll from the virus has now surpassed 900,000. (New York Times) The virus has now been detected in almost every country in the world, and the US leads in the highest number of cases, followed by India and Brazil. The US also has the highest number of deaths.

  • The US Senate failed to move forward on a “skinny” coronavirus relief package proposed by the GOP, after no Democrats voted in favor of giving the bill the 60 votes needed to advance. (POLITICO) The vote dims the chances that Congress will approve another stimulus before the November election.

  • With indoor dining set to return to NYC at the end of the month, here’s what an epidemiologist has to say about how safe it really is. (Spoiler: he’s “deeply conflicted.”) (Gothamist)

  • And tomorrow’s 9/11 memorial ceremonies are still on, but like so much else this year, they will look a bit different due to COVID-19. (AP)

One good read: from Matt Harrigan, the co-founder of Company: New York is resilient, but only if it adapts (Crain’s NY)

Survey

The latest results: When was the last time you received a coronavirus test? (Not counting antibody tests.)

  • 10.8%: In the last week

  • 16.0%: In the last month

  • 21.1%: In the last two to four months

  • 7.7%: More than four months ago

  • 44.3%: I have not been tested

Today’s poll: The inventory of empty apartment units in Manhattan rose to 15,000 last month, nearly triple the vacancy this time last year, as New Yorkers plan longer stays out of the city and forego new leases. Meanwhile, apartment rentals and sales on single-family homes in the suburbs have reportedly spiked since the pandemic began. How do you fit into this COVID-era trend?

  • *|SURVEY: I’ve changed my primary residence, but stayed in the same city or town|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ve changed my primary residence and moved out of my city or town|*

  • *|SURVEY: I have the same primary residence as before the pandemic|*

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

What You Need to Know

What to Know: Reopening:

  • The Manhattan rental market continued to experience a slump through the summer, with more than 15,000 apartments empty in August. (CNBC)

  • Effective Sept. 14, there will be a new $50 fine for riders who refuse to wear a mask on subways and buses. (New York Daily News) The fine comes after MTA officials found that, in a two-week survey conducted July 27 to Aug. 7, 87 percent of subway riders were wearing a face covering, down from 91 percent in the previous survey. It also found that 15 percent of riders with masks wear them improperly. (NY1)

  • International travelers flying from high-risk countries into the US will no longer be diverted to select airports for temperature checks and health screenings. (Gothamist) Instead, beginning on Sept. 14, U.S. officials will shift their approach to rely on voluntary collection of contact information, performing country-specific risk assessments, and recommendations for self-monitoring, along with "potential testing.”

Related reading:

What to Know: Return-to-Office:

  • JPMorgan told all trading floor staff that they must return to the office by Sept. 21. (Wall Street Journal) Exceptions will be granted for employees with childcare or medical issues, who will be permitted to continue working from home.

  • Goldman Sachs is the latest big bank looking to bring more workers back into the office. (CNBC) In a memo released yesterday, CEO David Solomon informed employees that they may be returning to the workplace in team rotations, subject to the discretion of divisional and local leadership.

Related reading:

  • Hot new job title in a pandemic: “Head of remote work” (Washington Post)

  • How to tell your boss you’re not ready to return to the office (Fast Company)

  • Why retirement benefits are critical to hire and retain talented employees in remote Covid era (CNBC)

One Company to Watch:

UPSOLVE

What does your company do?

Upsolve co-founder and CEO Rohan Pavuluri: Upsolve helps low-income families file bankruptcy for free, using an online web app. We’ve been funded by the Robin Hood Foundation, Y Combinator, Eric Schmidt, Vinod Khosla, Chris Sacca, Jim Breyer, and Harvard University. To date, we’ve relieved over $250 million in debt.

Most people think of declaring bankruptcy as a stigmatizing process that happens in a court with lawyers, but you’re providing it via a web app. How is technology making it a more effective experience for those going through the process?

RP: Most importantly, we use technology to make bankruptcy free at scale. Millions of Americans are sadly too broke to afford a bankruptcy lawyer, and technology has allowed us to create a more equitable, just legal system. It’s one of the greatest civil rights injustices of our day that countless Americans can’t access their rights when they can’t afford lawyers.Read the full interview here.

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.

Events:

  • September 15: Virtual: AMA Live, with Managed by Q founder Dan Teran. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

  • September 15: Virtual: Addressing Housing Affordability During COVID-19, with StreetEasy economist Nancy Wu, Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development executive director Barika Williams, and Furman Center director of external affairs Charles McNally. Hosted by StreetEasy. (Details)

  • September 17: Virtual: How COVID-19 Will Impact New York’s Healthcare Policies, Innovation, and Future, with New York State Commissioner Howard Zucker, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, and more. Hosted by City & State. (Details)

  • September 23: Virtual: How to Build Successful Companies, with How I Built This podcast host Guy Raz. Hosted by Company. (Details)

When In Doubt

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

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