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Tech:NYC Digest: April 22

Tech:NYC Digest: April 22

April 22, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Thursday, April 22, 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: New guidance from the CDC expected to relax some COVID measures; NYC to add 75 electric school buses to its fleet over two years; 95 percent of tech companies want to normalize flexible work, according to new poll; Tech:NYC is celebrating Earth Day in our latest Companies to Watch featuring five NYC founders addressing climate change and sustainability.By the Numbers:

New York State: 2,002,512 (+4,996)
New York City: 900,336 (+2,198)
Statewide Fatalities: 41,678 (+45)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 2.8 percent (-0.1 percent)
- NYC reports: 4.5 percent (-0.3 percent)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 8,495,354 (+85,284)
- NYC first doses administered: 3,277,394 (+35,356)

General Updates:

A new study of “breakthrough cases,” people who contract COVID-19 (usually from variants) after being fully vaccinated, finds that in those extremely rare cases, the vaccine significantly reduces severity of the illness. More data is needed to determine which variants cause the most breakthroughs. (NBC News) For people in between shots who get infected, Dr. Fauci says you should get your second dose as soon as you recover. (CNBC)
White House officials said new CDC guidelines would be coming soon that are expected to loosen some restrictions as COVID-19 cases drop nationwide. (CNN)
- Mayor de Blasio said today mask mandates will be in effect at least through June, at which point the city will reassess that and other guidelines. (NBC New York) Meanwhile, New York state just passed two million total COVID-19 cases today and critical COVID metrics like hospitalizations and deaths remain stubbornly high. (Bloomberg)
Abroad, India reported a new global record of daily COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, with nearly 313,000 new infections and more than 2,100 deaths on Thursday. (New York Times) Germany has imposed stricter lockdown measures to control the surge of COVID-19 cases there. (Wall Street Journal)
Lastly, Happy Earth Day! Pres. Biden marked the occasion with a pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and reach net zero levels by 2050. (CNBC) Here in NYC, the iconic Climate Clock in Union Square, long a towering warning of the time the impact of climate change becomes irreversible, is adding a dose of optimism: it now also displays another number counting how much of the world’s energy comes from renewable sources. We're glad to report that number is growing! (New York Times)

One 🌎 read: In celebration of Earth Day, we spoke with five NYC founders building tools that advance climate and sustainability goals at home and across the globe. Find our latest Companies to Watch here.

The latest results: With large numbers of people still avoiding the subway, other means of transportation are becoming a bigger part of New Yorkers’ routines. Micromobility is growing in all five boroughs — Citi Bike recently expanded to every corner of Manhattan, an e-scooter pilot just launched in the Bronx with 3,000 scooters from Lime, Bird, and Veo, and Revel announced a citywide e-bike subscription in February. What’s your primary method of getting around New York, aside from public transit?

Today's poll

: With so many people working from home this last year, emissions from passenger vehicles

dropped significantly

. Deliveries also shot up and many cities reported massive

increases in garbage pickups

. There’s also a concern about how the internet and

other energy-heavy tech

impacts climate. Do you think teleworking is a net positive or a net negative for the environment?

*|SURVEY: Teleworking is overall better for the environment|*
*|SURVEY: Teleworking is overall worse for the environment|*
*|SURVEY: Teleworking has no impact on the environment|*

Mayor de Blasio announced new plans to make the city more environmentally friendly over the next few years, including a transition to a fully electric school bus fleet by 2035, a return of curbside composting services, and a lawsuit against oil companies for violating New York’s consumer protection laws. (ABC New York)
Penn Station is getting a much needed makeover. Officials unveiled two proposals to revamp the station for the first time in decades. The project doesn’t yet have a price tag, but the renderings are certainly impressive. (USA Today)
New York Road Runners will hold its first race since the start of the pandemic. The club will hold the annual New York Mini 10K in June, though it will be smaller than the past few years. Safety protocols, like mandatory mask wearing, will be in place. (New York Times)