Tech:NYC Digest: April 30

Tech:NYC Digest: April 30

April 30, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Friday, April 30, 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: NYC preparing for the “summer to remember” with full reopening in sight; indoor dining to expand to 75 percent on May 7th; booster shots increasingly likely, J&J recipients may need it annually; Google reveals piloted future of work office designs, such as smart desks and inflatable walls for flexible workspaces.By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 2,032,494 (+3,868)

  • New York City: 913,336 (+1,636)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 41,992 (+44)

  • NYC Positivity Rates: 

    • NYS reports: 1.9 percent (no change)

    • NYC reports: 3.2 percent (no change)

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 9,179,469 (+86,675)

    • NYC first doses administered: 3,572,752 (+33,455)

General Updates:

  • By all accounts, this was a week where things really looked up in New York — and in much of the rest of the country. (New York Times) The spring season is bringing with it encouraging data and the wave of optimism that pandemic-fatigued New Yorkers and public officials have been hoping for. To recap the week:

    • The number of new infections declined in 26 states, and the biggest improvement was in New York, with case counts down about 30 percent. (Axios) July 1st has been penciled in as the day NYC will see any remaining restrictions lifted. 

    • One in every two NYC residents you pass on the street right now has gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. (NYS) Statewide, almost seven million people are fully vaccinated, and nationwide, that number has topped 100 million. (Axios) City- and state-run vaccination sites are now open to walk-ins, no appointment necessary, and special efforts were kicked off to provide vaccines to food service workers, students, and homebound seniors.

    • The CDC gave its blessing to forego mask wearing for fully vaccinated people outdoors, and NYC restaurants, gyms, and salons were all given the greenlight to welcome in more customers.

    • Families are finally able to reunite with their loved ones, more people are making plans for their “After,” and spirits are high after President Biden cemented optimism in America’s future during his first address to a joint Congress.

  • And when the public health outlook is optimistic, the economy responds:

    • Relief efforts have worked: consumer spending continues to rise and the national GDP is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. (New York Times) Goldman Sachs’ latest research note on 2021 economic forecasts is literally called “Anatomy of a Boom.”

    • The New York real estate market has also sprung back to life, with new rentals and homebuying both getting a big boost. (Forbes) US unemployment claims also dropped to their lowest levels since the pandemic hit, and NYC anticipates more than 400,000 jobs will return by the end of the year.

  • The queue of dates where various reopening measures take effect in NYC is getting a lot longer, so here’s a helpful (chronological) list for that.

  • Even with all the good news, it’s important to remember that, of course, a lot can change between now and the July 1st goal. If we want a “summer to remember” in NYC, there’s still plenty of work to do in getting us there. (New York Times) And you know why? Because the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The latest results: Mayor de Blasio today made a significant move and set the date for New York’s full reopening. The mayor is aiming for July 1st, just a couple days ahead of President Biden’s goal of returning the nation to “normal” by the July 4th Independence Day holiday. What do you think about the mayor’s timeline?      

Today's poll

: The July 1st full reopening is exciting for many New Yorkers, not the least restaurant and other business owners who will

affecting their bottom-line. However, the rebound is probably not going to happen immediately, especially as tourism inches back and may

, according to earlier estimates. How optimistic are you about a full economic recovery in New York by the end of the year?

  • *|SURVEY: Very optimistic|*

  • *|SURVEY: Somewhat optimistic|*

  • *|SURVEY: Somewhat pessimistic|*

  • *|SURVEY: Very pessimistic|*

  • Beginning May 7th, indoor dining in NYC will expand to 75 percent maximum capacity. (NY1) The update puts the restrictions on bars and restaurants in the city in line those in the rest of the state.

    • Hair salons, barber shops, and other personal care services can expand to 75 percent on that day, as well. Mask and social distancing measures will still be required.

    • Beginning May 15th, gyms and fitness centers may expand to 50 percent maximum capacity. (PIX11)

  • With more reopening dates in clearer view, New Yorkers are increasingly pushing city and state officials to restore full 24/7 subway service. (Gothamist) State law requires the MTA to fully restore subway service when the COVID-19 state of emergency orders are no longer in effect, but neither Gov. Cuomo nor the MTA have indicated when that might be.

  • Booster shots will likely be necessary for vaccinated people, especially if the virus is still spreading even when we declare the pandemic officially “over.” (New York Times) Those who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will most likely need a booster shot within six to 12 months after getting vaccinated, while those who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot will need to get vaccinated annually. (CNN)

Related reading:

  • Mask On or Off? Life Is Getting Back to Normal, and We’re Rusty (New York Times)

  • Does It Matter If I Skip My Second COVID Shot? (New York Times) 

  • Even if you’re vaccinated, indoor dining is still complicated (Vox)

  • The Best Masks to Wear on an Airplane (New York Magazine)

  • Post-vaccination inertia is real: readjusting our ideas about what’s safe is going to take time (The Atlantic)

Working:

  • Over the next year, Google will pilot new office designs across 10 percent of its global workspaces to reimagine what the post-pandemic office should look like. (New York Times)

    • The plans build on work that began before the pandemic sent Google’s workforce home, when the company asked a diverse group of consultants — including sociologists who study “Generation Z” and how students socialize and learn — to imagine what future workers would want.

    • The result so far is a strategy that seems to be best described as ‘Ikea meets Lego,’ with 'team pods' that feature easily rearranged furniture and vertical video displays that put virtual workers on the same footing as physically present workers.

    • Oh, and there’s new privacy robots, open-air meeting tents, and balloon walls.

  • Bank of America will ask employees to voluntarily disclose their vaccination status. The company isn’t planning on requiring staff to get vaccinated in order to return to the office, but will use the information to prioritize certain groups’ return in phases over time. (Business Insider)

Related reading:

  • America’s Workplace Diversity Crisis: Measuring Gaps in Diversity & Inclusion Satisfaction by Employee Race and Ethnicity (Glassdoor)

  • JPMorgan and the art of return-to- office politics (Financial 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.

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

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