Tech:NYC Digest: December 17

Tech:NYC Digest: December 17

December 17, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

COVID-19 Digest

Thursday, December 17, 2020As NYC works through another surge of the coronavirus, the 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.

In the poll in yesterday’s digest, an overwhelming majority of you — 82 percent — said today should be a classic snow day for kids in NYC, not just another day of remote learning. And, to be honest, we think so too. So with that in mind, here’s a shortened digest for today:

  • Confirmed Cases: 

    • New York State: 815,469 (+10,914)

    • New York City: 369,385 (+3,627) 

    • Statewide Fatalities: 28,222 (+120)

    • NYC Positivity Rates: 

      • NYS reports: 4.2 percent (+0.1 percent)

      • NYC reports: 6.0 percent (+0.3 percent)

  • A quick round of updates:

    • New coronavirus case counts are no longer skyrocketing, but they’ve plateaued at record or near-record highs. (Axios) Of course, officials are concerned that the numbers will start climbing again with holiday gatherings and travel — and that it will happen from an already elevated starting point.

    • Just as it appears aid for state and local governments won’t be included in the stimulus deal coming... any day now... New York was dealt another blow in a 7.1 percent decline in sales tax revenue in November, an even steeper drop than the 5.2 percent decline in October. (NY State of Politics)

    • The CDC is working with an industry standards group to develop filtration standards for face masks. Products that meet them will be able to carry a label saying so. (New York Times)

    • With the winter storm tapering off this afternoon, outdoor dining in NYC will be allowed to resume tonight, and school buildings will reopen tomorrow. (ABC New York)

  • COVID-19 vaccinations have begun for healthcare workers in NYC’s public hospitals, starting with Elmhurst Hospital, once the epicenter (of the epicenter) of the pandemic. (Gothamist) Mayor de Blasio says 5,200 healthcare workers have been vaccinated so far, and another approximately 38,000 vaccines have been received and will be deployed in the coming days. (PIX11) Mayor de Blasio also said today he predicts it will be in June when every New Yorker who wants a vaccine can get one. (New York Post) Until then, here’s a good tracker of vaccine distribution levels in each state, and hey, if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll find some extra doses in our allocation.

  • And, lastly, 12 inches of snow, even during a pandemic, has nothing on New Yorkers. Never change.

 

Enjoy the rest of your snow day! See you tomorrow.