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COVID-19 Digest: September 9

COVID-19 Digest: September 9

September 09, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Wednesday, September 9, 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: Indoor dining to return to NYC on Sept. 30; NYC DOE finds 95 percent of classrooms ready for in-person learning; new report shows US at roughly one tenth testing capacity needed for safe school reopenings; Learning Bridges Program to replace childcare centers for approx. 30,000 children of essential NYC workers later this month.Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 441,154 (+576)
New York City: 236,647 (+213)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,370 (+3)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 0.7 percent (-0.2 percent)

General Updates:

While the pandemic seems to be leveling off in the US, the daily number of new cases continues to remain at a troublingly high 40,000 cases. (Washington Post) Amid fears of a post-Labor Day spike, experts are also projecting an autumn surge, with a peak after Election Day. (Washington Post)
Following increasing pressure from the restaurant industry and some elected officials, Gov. Cuomo announced NYC will be permitted to reopen indoor dining at limited capacity and with strict regulations beginning Sept. 30. (New York Times) More on that below.
The trial for a frontrunner coronavirus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca was halted because of a serious adverse reaction in one of its participants. (AP) The pause comes the same day that nine drugmakers, including AstraZeneca, issued an unusual joint statement in response to concerns Pres. Trump is rushing to approve a vaccine before the election, pledging to not to put one forward until it is thoroughly vetted. (New York Times)
NYC teachers returned to classrooms yesterday to begin preparing for the school year. (Chalkbeat) Simultaneously, the Dept. of Education released ventilation reports for every school in the district, finding 95 percent of classrooms ready for use. (Gothamist) While the report confirms things like availability of working fans and open windows, it does not contain specific metrics for airflow or aerosol levels, making comparisons difficult. Get the school-level reports here.
Gov. Cuomo said he’s not giving up on a federal aid package to fill the $14.5 billion deficit the state faces due to the pandemic. (Times Union) But Congress remains in a stalemate over the next stimulus bill — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is calling for a vote on the latest GOP proposal. With individual stimulus checks and local government aid left out, Democratic leaders say the bill won’t receive the necessary votes to pass. (Wall Street Journal)

One good read: “We Have A World to Win”: New Yorkers on Not Leaving NYC (Gothamist)

Survey

The latest results: If you could advise all American workplaces, what would your office use plan be this fall?

1.7%: Open offices and require all employees to return
5.2%: Open offices and require employees to return in rotating shifts
67.4%: Open offices for employees who need it, but make returning optional
25.6%: Keep offices closed with employees working remotely

Today’s poll: There’s broad consensus that the best way to contain coronavirus is a national strategy for fast, accessible testing. Absent that, New York is conducting the most tests per capita in the country, encouraging all New Yorkers, regardless of symptoms, to get tested. When was the last time you received a coronavirus test? (Not counting antibody tests.)

*|SURVEY: In the last week|*
*|SURVEY: In the last month|*
*|SURVEY: In the last 1 to 3 months|*
*|SURVEY: In the last 3 to 6 months|*
*|SURVEY: I have not been tested|*

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

What You Need to Know

Indoor Dining:

Gov. Cuomo today announced plans to reopen indoor dining in NYC. (New York Times) The move is a major milestone in the city’s recovery, which has reported consistently low infection rates for more than a month.
It comes after increasing pressure from restaurant industry leaders, much of it under the threat of lawsuit, that the city be allowed to join the rest of the state, which has been reopened to indoor dining at limited capacity for several weeks already. (New York Post)
NYC establishments will be permitted to reopen on Sept. 30, but under strict guidelines. (Eater NY) Here’s the plan:
- Restaurants may reopen at 25 percent capacity. That number must be posted publicly at their establishments.
- Temperature checks will be required at the door for all customers.
- One member of each party will be required to provide contact information for tracing, if needed.
- No bar service may reopen — drinks may only be served tableside.
- Masks must be worn at all times when not seated at the table.
- Establishments must close no later than midnight.
- Enhanced air filtration and ventilation equipment must be in place before reopening.
Indoor dining guidelines will be reassessed by Nov. 1. If the infection rate does not increase after a month of indoor dining has passed, establishments may be able to increase capacity to 50 percent.
Outdoor dining will also continue. It’s currently slated to be permitted through Oct. 31, but Mayor de Blasio is eyeing another extension to the program.
The move certainly comes as a relief to NYC restaurant owners, two-thirds of whom are at risk of closing their doors by January without new revenue or aid. (CNN)

What to Know: Reopening:

A new report says the US needs up to 193 million COVID-19 tests each month in order to safely keep schools and nursing homes open. (STAT News) Current testing capacity in the US is at 21 million tests per month.
The childcare centers specially opened in NYC for children of essential workers will be phased out on Sept. 11, coinciding with school reopening. (Gothamist) The Learning Bridges Program will function as a replacement, which will accommodate 30,000 children starting Sept. 21. (ABC New York) The city hopes to increase the program’s capacity to 70,000 by the end of October, and to 100,000 by December.