Tech:NYC Digest: April 6

Tech:NYC Digest: April 6

April 06, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Tuesday, April 6, 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: All New York adults now eligible for the vaccine; Albany reaches $212 billion budget agreement; Coney Island amusement park set to open Friday at 33 percent capacity; new survey finds about a quarter of employees want a new job after the pandemic ends.

By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 1,902,751 (+5,748)

  • New York City: 853,799 (+2,898)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 40,861 (+47)

  • NYC Positivity Rates:

    • NYS reports: 4.2 percent (-0.1 percent) 

    • NYC reports: 6.6 percent (no change)

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 6,747,895 (+100,675)

    • NYC first doses administered: 2,434,003 (+53,539)

General Updates:

  • A big day for vaccine progress: With the addition of New Yorkers ages 16+, today marks that all adults in the state, regardless of preexisting condition or employment type, can register for vaccination. (NBC New York)

    • A couple of reminders for the teens in your lives: the only vaccine currently approved for people aged 16 and 17 is the Pfizer vaccine (the others are 18+), and state rules require that those under 18 have a parent or guardian present for the appointment to provide consent.

  • Meanwhile, Pres. Biden announced today that he has moved his deadline up for states to make all adults eligible for the vaccine to April 19th, about two weeks ahead of his original May 1st deadline. (AP) 

  • Public officials, from City Hall and the White House alike, are warning that the pandemic is now a race between the vaccines and the variants. (New York Times)

    • While the vaccination rates are progressing at a faster rate than expected, the “high plateau” of new cases, largely due to more infectious variant strains, isn’t budging much either.

    • Some public health officials are worried that the strains, combined with the relaxation of safety precautions, could mean we’re entering a “fourth wave” of the pandemic. (Washington Post)

    • But not all experts agree — vaccines weren’t yet in the picture during the previous summer and winter spikes, and rising infection rates are happening in only some pockets of the country, particularly in young people or children who haven’t been vaccinated yet. (Bloomberg)

  • New York legislators have reached an agreement on a $212 billion state budget that was due April 1st. (New York Times) We will provide a breakdown tomorrow of everything you need to know.

The latest results: While curfew restrictions were recently lifted for many businesses, the 11pm curfew remains in effect for restaurants and bars to minimize maskless activities. Meanwhile, NYC establishments open at 50 percent capacity, the maximum allowed for indoor dining, are finding diners don’t want to leave. Have you patronized a restaurant in the last month?

Today's poll

: This is the first year that

(RCV) will be used in New York City elections, which allows voters to rank five candidates. Already, some local races have

, but the mayoral primary in June will be the first citywide employment of RCV. Have you decided on your mayoral rankings for the ballot box?

  • *|SURVEY: I have selected and ordered five candidates|*

  • *|SURVEY: I have ranked some but not all five choices|*

  • *|SURVEY: I have determined only my top choice|*

  • *|SURVEY: I am undecided on any candidate|*

ICYMI: we’re hosting a virtual forum with all the leading NYC mayoral candidates on Thursday, April 8th at 4pm to discuss their plans to support the tech sector and city at large. It’s not too late to register to join us here.

  • NYC has expanded its program that makes walk-up access to the vaccine available to residents aged 75 and older. Beginning tomorrow, those seniors and one person accompanying them (e.g., a family member or caregiver) can receive the vaccine without an appointment at 25 sites across the city. See the full list here.

  • New Jersey will open vaccine eligibility to all residents ages 16 and older beginning April 19th. (New York Times) It’s one of just ten states that haven’t yet reached universal eligibility — see every state’s full timeline here.

  • While COVID initially seized much of the city’s business activity, novel digital tools and discounted real estate, among other factors, allowed thousands of new entrepreneurs to start businesses in New York. (Crain’s NY) According to the US Census Bureau, five million new businesses were created nationwide between Feb. 2020 and Feb. 2021, 290,000 of which were based in New York.

  • After a long shutdown, Coney Island Amusement Park is reopening on Friday at 33 percent capacity. (Gothamist) There are several new rides children will get to experience for the first time — and yes, most of the iconic boardwalk concession stands will reopen, as well.

Related reading:

  • Enter the world of the vaccine selfie. It’s part of a longer tradition than you might expect. (New York Times)

  • Venturing out into the post-COVID world is definitely weird — and completely worth it (Washington Post)

  • Inside the sprawling operational puzzle of bringing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the public (New York Magazine)

Working:

  • While it’s widely understood some amount of WFH is here to stay, the ongoing vaccine rollout — and its impact on imminent reopening plans — means companies are also prioritizing the significant benefits of working together in an office. (Forbes)

    • Culture is one of the most important competitive advantages a company has — and among the hardest to replicate in a remote environment.

    • A big part of the employee value equation is their connections with colleagues, a benefit that directly correlates to talent attraction and retention.

  • A new survey says that about one in four employees — 26 percent — intend to look for a new job once the pandemic has subsided. (Axios) That number is even higher among millennials — 34 percent say they plan to leave their current companies — setting up employers to deal with significant turnover trends in the coming year.

  • Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel said the share of business travel will forever be lower than it was pre-pandemic. (Axios) The company has introduced a new $50 credit for future travel as an incentive to help drive demand for leisure trips — a segment that is expected to pick up faster than business travel.

Related reading:

  • Prosus CEO Bob van Dijk on the global tech landscape after the pandemic (New York Times)

  • The reopening wardrobe: the comfy era may be at its end (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:

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