Tech:NYC Digest: April 15

Tech:NYC Digest: April 15

April 15, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Thursday, April 15, 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 identified 5,800 positive COVID cases among 66 million vaccinated Americans; “mega” NYC startups raised $10.2B in Q1; NY unemployment rate declines, still higher than national rate; Uber employees must work in office at least three days a week beginning Sept. 13.

By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 1,964,435 (+6,884)

  • New York City: 882,120 (+2,734) 

  • Statewide Fatalities: 41,347 (+46)

  • NYC Positivity Rates: 

    • NYS reports: 3.3 percent (-0.1 percent)

    • NYC reports: 5.3 percent (no change)

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 7,912,401 (+101,317)

    • NYC first doses administered: 2,939,516 (+43,696)

General Updates:

  • Enthusiasm over the ongoing vaccine rollout is leading more people to let their guards down when it comes to social distancing and other safety measures — and it shows:

    • The number of new cases rose this week in 25 states and declined in only six. The US averaged about 71,000 cases per day over the last week, a nine percent jump from the week before. (Axios)

    • But there is good news: COVID-related hospitalizations in New York have now fallen below 4,000 for the first time since Dec. 1st of last year. (NY1)

  • A CDC advisory committee said it needs more time to study the evidence linking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to a rare blood clotting disorder, so it will delay making any conclusions or recommendations for at least another seven to 10 days. (NBC News) In the interim, the pause in administering the doses remains in effect. 

  • New data from the CDC identified approximately 5,800 cases of a new COVID-19 infection among people who are fully vaccinated. Out of the 66 million Americans who have completed their vaccination courses, these so-called “breakthrough cases” account for a very rare 0.008 percent of all vaccinated people, in line with public health expert expectations. (Wall Street Journal) 

    • Vaccinated people can become infected for a number of reasons: for example, older people with weaker immune systems might not produce enough immune response to the vaccine, or more aggressive variant strains might evade the protections of the vaccine. That's why the CDC is reminding people that even vaccinated people should continue to observe mask-wearing and other protocols in many cases.

    • Dr. Fauci and other public health experts have emphasized that breakthrough infections are “inevitable” for a very small number of people, because no vaccine is 100 percent effective. (The Hill)

  • The jury is still out on just how long protection lasts once someone has been fully vaccinated, but Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that people will likely need a booster dose of the vaccine within 12 months of being vaccinated. (CNBC)

  • Lastly, should you take a vaccine selfie? Can you ask someone else if they’ve been vaccinated? How do you talk to family members who don’t want to get the shot? Here’s an etiquette guide to politely navigating this new phase of the pandemic.

The latest results: While Midtown may still be relatively quiet, other areas in the city are reportedly seeing an uptick in foot traffic and retail shopping. But as the vaccine becomes more common and reopening measures expand, both subway ridership and toll traffic are inching back to pre-pandemic levels. On average, how often are you traveling outside your neighborhood? 

Today's poll

: Tax day is today… except not! Instead of the normal mid-April filing deadline, both

and many states, including

, extended the tax filing deadline to May 17. Have you already filed your taxes or are you taking advantage of the extension?

  • *|SURVEY: I have already filed my taxes|*

  • *|SURVEY: I have filed either state or federal taxes, but not both|*

  • *|SURVEY: I have not filed any taxes yet|*

  • NYC startups raised $10.2 billion in venture funding in the first quarter of 2021, the largest total for any single quarter on record, including several mega-rounds from (Tech:NYC members!) Ro and Squarespace, among others. (Crain’s NY)

  • New York added more than 61,000 jobs last month, bringing the state’s unemployment rate down to from 8.9 percent to 8.5 percent. That rate, however, is still higher than the national average, which stands at six percent. (NY State of Politics)

  • Bryant Park will present a slate of 25 free outdoor performances from June to September from some of the city’s most prominent arts institutions, including the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, the Classical Theatre of Harlem, Joe’s Pub, and more. (New York Times)

    • Attendance at each performance will be limited to 200 guests, and while tickets are free, they must be reserved in advance. Patrons will get temperature checks and be shown to assigned seating.

  • City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage also announced this week that it would be returning to Central Park and other locations with in-person concerts. (Variety)

Related reading:

  • A long-awaited return to eating at beloved NYC restaurants: one author stops by her favorites, ordering a dish or two at each (New York Times)

  • What It Takes to Open a Bar in a Subway Station (Curbed)

  • How To Use Tech to Prepare for Travel in a Pandemic (New York Times)

Working:

  • Uber expects employees to return to the office beginning Sept. 13th, requiring them to work from the office at least three days a week. (Reuters) While the company began offering San Francisco employees limited access to the office at the end of March, this hybrid model will be made permanent for all employees.

    • Read more about their plans from chief people officer Nikki Krishnamurthy here.

  • Glassdoor reviewed summer internship listings and found tech is consistently the best sector for young professionals to go to for good pay — tech companies took up 16 of the top 25 spots. Nvidia topped the list with nearly $9,000 in median monthly pay, followed by Facebook, LinkedIn, and Amazon. (Axios)

Related reading:

  • Pet time and power naps: working from home during the Covid crisis (The Guardian)

  • How WFH Changed Wardrobes Around the World (New York Times)

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 16: Virtual: Women Investing in Women: The Ecosystem in Action, with FirstMark Capital general partner Beth Ferreira, Acrew Capital founding partner Theresia Gouw, and GingerBread Capital CEO Linnea Roberts. Hosted by GingerBread Capital. (Details)

  • April 21: Virtual: A Fireside Chat with Yancey Spruill, CEO of Digital Ocean. Hosted by Work-Bench. (Details)

  • April 22: Virtual: Live (Mock) Term Sheet Negotiation, with Lerer Hippeau principal Caitline Strandberg, Koffie Labs CEO Ian White, Orrick managing associates Frank Paz and Jae Zhou, and more. Hosted by NYU Data Future Lab. (Details)

  • April 23: Virtual: Equity in the Digital Divide, with a panel of computer science instructions and Code Nation alumni. Hosted by Code Nation. (Details)

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

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