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COVID-19 Digest: September 22

COVID-19 Digest: September 22

September 22, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Tuesday, September 22, 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: US hits 200,000 national coronavirus deaths; CDC advisory committee delays vote on vaccine allocation measures; new report shows 90 percent of NYC restaurants unable to pay August rent in full; Mastercard is encouraging more employees back to New York-area offices. Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 451,227 (+754)
New York City: 240,807 (+351)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,432 (+3)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.0 percent (no change)

General Updates:

The US reached a sobering milestone today: it surpassed 200,000 coronavirus deaths. (New York Times)
The initial economic stimulus provided by the CARES Act was designed to only last through the summer. A second round of relief packages proposed in May and in August went nowhere, and there’s virtually no chance a new bill will be passed before the election. (Axios)
Five states — Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Wyoming — have been added to New York’s travel advisory requiring a 14-day quarantine, putting the full list at 35 states and territories. See the full list here.
And across the pond, the UK is grappling with a second wave of infections and will return to some of its most stringent restrictions. (New York Times) In addition to stronger mask and social distancing enforcement, workers are encouraged to return to WFH and bars and restaurants will be required to close early. (Bloomberg)
A CDC vaccine advisory committee will delay a vote on recommending who should get initial limited doses of any COVID-19 vaccine in the US. (Wall Street Journal) The delay comes as six in ten Americans now say they do not want to take a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it’s available. (Axios)
The iconic Metronome towering over Union Square is now the Climate Clock. (New York Times) The countdown clock has been reprogrammed to show how much time is left until the effects of climate change become irreversible.

One civic thing: It’s National Voter Registration Day! If you aren’t registered to vote — or if you’ve moved and need to update your registration — click here. If your registration is all set, be sure to set your voting plan and help others set theirs — there are expanded absentee and early voting options in place this year.

One good read: Mitchell Moss: “My bet is on our future.” (New York Daily News)

Survey

The latest results: When it’s safe to go back to your office, how will your remote work habits compare to pre-pandemic?

78.6%: I’ll work from home more.
11.7%: I’ll work from home about the same as I did before.
9.7%: I’ll return to the office and work from home less.

Today’s poll: While New York has kept the curve flat and maintained record low numbers of new infections, the economic picture is less optimistic — unemployment remains much higher than the national average and businesses continue to see just a fraction of their normal economic activity. When New York is able to fully reopen, how long do you think it will take for the city to return to pre-COVID economic activity levels?

*|SURVEY: 1 – 3 months |*
*|SURVEY: 6 months to a year|*
*|SURVEY: More than a year|*
*|SURVEY: It will never return to pre-COVID levels|*

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

What You Need to Know

What to Know: Reopening:

While some students returned to classrooms for in-person instruction yesterday, 46 percent of NYC students have now opted for all-remote classes. (New York Post) That is drastically up from 29 percent just five weeks ago.
Nearly 90 percent of NYC bars and restaurants couldn’t pay their full August rent, of which 34 percent were unable to pay any rent at all. (Gothamist) The reopening of indoor dining at 25 percent capacity next week is expected to help restaurants make up some lost revenue.
A new NYC Council bill would make outdoor dining permanent through the winter months and beyond. (Eater NY) The proposed legislation has picked up several Council Member cosponsors and will get a hearing next week.