Tech:NYC Digest: April 1

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Monday, April 1, 2021As the vaccination rollout progresses and NYC continues to respond to the pandemic, this digest focuses on the resources that help you make decisions about your businesses and your lives as New Yorkers.Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

The latest: CDC director confirms fully vaxxed individuals do not carry or transmit COVID; domestic travel restriction lifted in New York state; Governors Island to reopen starting May 1st; Google accelerates return to office plans, following similar moves by Uber, Facebook, and others.

By the Numbers:

• New York State: 1,867,320 (+8,888)

• New York City: 836,581 (+4,322)

• Statewide Fatalities: 40,570 (+56)

• NYC Positivity Rates:

  • NYS reports: 4.3 percent (no change)

  • NYC reports: 6.6 percent (+0.7 percent)

• Vaccine Progress:

  • NYS first doses administered: 6,192,319 (+123,321)

  • NYC first doses administered: 2,215,214 (+39,323)

General Updates:

• Updated data released by the NYC Dept. of Health shows that variant strains now make up 72 percent of all new cases. (amNY) 43 percent come from the strain originating right here in NYC, and 26 percent represent the UK strain. See the full breakdowns here.

• A plant in Baltimore manufacturing Johnson & Johnson vaccines conflated the ingredients of two different coronavirus vaccines, forcing it to halt production and recall as many as 15 million doses. (New York Times) None of the contaminated doses left the plant, and the lot has been quarantined.

  • While future shipments are certain to be delayed, this mix-up does not impact the doses currently being delivered and used nationwide, including the shipments that states are counting on next week.

• CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that, in both clinical trial and real-world data, fully vaccinated people don’t carry — and can’t transmit — the coronavirus. (New York Magazine) The conclusion comes from the CDC’s first report analyzing how well the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are working among working-age, frontline adults. (The Johnson & Johnson vaccine hasn’t been in use long enough to have similar data from it yet.)

• Pfizer released a long-term study today finding that their vaccine remains 91 percent effective for at least six months after the second dose. The analysis also shows the vaccine to be effective against the South Africa variant. (New York Daily News)

You’re invited: Tech:NYC is thrilled to be hosting a virtual forum next week with the leading NYC mayoral candidates. Join us on Thursday, April 8 at 4pm ET to hear about their plans to support the tech industry and the city at large. RSVP here.

The latest results: Today, President Biden unveiled a $2 trillion infrastructure plan, which he hopes to pass this summer. If the recent COVID stimulus package is any indicator, New York is poised to get a fair share of it. Of the following infrastructure items, which do you think should be top priority in New York?

Today's poll

: A new Regional Plan Association study shows that optimism is blooming as we enter the spring season, with 57 percent of New Yorkers saying they are

optimistic about the city’s future

. How optimistic are you that the NYC economy will be able to fully reopen by the end of the year?

• *|SURVEY: Very optimistic|*

• *|SURVEY: Somewhat optimistic|*

• *|SURVEY: Neither optimistic nor pessimistic|*

• *|SURVEY: Somewhat pessimistic|*

• *|SURVEY: Very pessimistic|*

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

• Today, the domestic travel quarantine requirement was lifted in New York state, meaning people coming from other states or territories do not need to quarantine or show negative tests upon entry. International travelers must continue quarantining for 10 days upon arrival, and all travelers must continue to complete state-issued Traveler Health Forms. (Journal News)

• Twenty-five new rapid testing sites opened today in New York, including eight in NYC, to provide COVID-19 tests that return results in less than 30 minutes for no more than $30. Get more details here, and search for sites near you here.

• Governors Island will reopen to visitors for the full summer season beginning May 1st. (Gothamist) In addition to the regular ferry service to the island from Manhattan, weekend and holiday ferry service from Brooklyn Bridge Park and Red Hook will be added. Ferry tickets must be reserved in advance.

Related reading:

• What You Need to Know About Your Vaccine Card (New York Times)

• Can Wearing a Mask Reduce My Allergy Symptoms? (New York Times)

Working:

• Google has updated its reopening plans to start allowing workers back to the office sooner than expected. (CNBC)

  • Offices will reopen in a limited capacity in April for workers who want to return to the office on a volunteer basis ahead of the Sept. 1st deadline.

  • By September, Google is expecting all of its employees to return for at least three days per week.

  • If employees want to work remotely after Sept. 1st for more than 14 days a year, they will have to formally apply for it.

• Amazon is also expecting its employees to come back to the office by the early fall, planning a “return to office-centric culture as our baseline.” See more here.

• IBM, however, says it predicts a more flexible hybrid model for 80 percent of its employees post-pandemic. CEO Arvind Krishna said that while 10 to 20 percent could potentially stay in permanently remote roles, he is worried about those employees’ career trajectories. (Business Insider)

• Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield said more companies will be going “digital first,” prioritizing digital infrastructure over physical office spaces post-pandemic, a move he says "would have happened anyway, but now they're happening faster.” (Axios)

Related reading:

• How remote work help moved us past old-school ‘professionalism’ (Fast Company)

• Remote work and the staying power of the stay-at-home economy (Axios)

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.

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:

• April 7: Virtual: A Conversation with Brad Svrluga, co-founder and general partner of Primary Venture Partners. Hosted by Tech:NYC, Cornell Tech, and Bloomberg. (Details)

• April 8: NYC Mayoral Forum, with leading candidates and moderated by Josh Barro. Hosted by Tech:NYC, Warby Parker, and more. (Details)

• April 8: Virtual: Expanding Access to Art Post-COVID, with Artsy CEO Mike Steib. Hosted by Savills. (Details)

• April 13: Virtual: A Fireside Chat with Grasshopper Bank founder and CEO Judith Erwin. Hosted by the SoGal Foundation. (Details)

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

• New York State Department of Health

• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• Centers for Disease Control

• World Health Organization

• Sign up for Gov. Cuomo’s nightly updates

• Download COVID Alert NY, New York's contact tracing app

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