Tech:NYC Digest: December 6

Tech:NYC Digest: December 6

December 06, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Monday, December 6, 2021

In today’s digest, de Blasio announces vax mandate for all private employers, three more Omicron cases in New York, and a new Crain’s feature traces the growth of New York tech, with an op-ed from Tech:NYC’s Julie Samuels on what makes our community unique. 

Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

By the numbers:

  • New positive cases statewide: 6,078

    • New positive cases, NYC: 1,879

  • NYC Positivity Rate: 2.3 percent (+0.1 percent)

  • Statewide Vaccine Progress:

    • Percentage of adults (18+) with at least one dose: 91.7 percent

    • Percentage of total population with at least one dose: 79.3 percent

Today in COVID:

  • Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a set of new vaccine mandates this morning in response to Omicron’s emergence in the city. (NBC New York)

    • Beginning Dec. 14, children ages five to 11 will be required to have at least one dose of the vaccine in order to enter most indoor public settings, like restaurants and theaters, as well as participate in extracurricular activities like sports and band.

    • Beginning Dec. 27, all adults and children 12 and older will be required to show they have received a second shot to enter indoor public settings, with the exception of those who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

    • NYC is also imposing a sweeping vaccination mandate for all private employers in the city. (New York Times) More on that below.

  • Another three cases of Omicron have been confirmed in New York, bringing the number of cases across the state to eight. (ABC New York)

    • Seven of those were detected NYC, and nationwide, the Omicron variant has now been found in at least 17 states, including neighboring states New Jersey and Connecticut.

  • The Omicron variant is likely to have picked up genetic material from another virus that causes the common cold, according to a new preliminary study, prompting one of its authors to suggest Omicron could have greater transmissibility but lower severity than other variants. (Washington Post)

In other reading:

  • Omicron and Travel: So, Now Do I Need Trip Insurance? (New York Times)

  • Why Omicron and Delta Could Be a ‘Twin Epidemic’ (New York Magazine)

  • An interactive explainer on how the Supply Chain Crisis Unfolded (New York Times)

  • How These NYC Companies Are Skirting the Supply Chain Crisis (New York Times)

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced a sweeping new vaccination mandate for all employers in the city. (POLITICO)

  • He called it a “first-in-the-nation measure” meant to be a “preemptive strike” against the Omicron variant and another winter surge in cases. (New York Times)

All workers at all private companies will be required to have at least one dose of the vaccine by Dec. 27.

  • It will apply to all in-person workers, but not those who work remotely. 

  • There is no testing alternative.

  • The city plans to honor exemptions for valid religious and medical reasons.

And that’s really all we know so far. The announcement caught many business leaders off guard. (New York Magazine) 

  • The new mandate is effectively a stronger version of the employer mandates Pres. Biden directed OSHA to develop at the federal level. Those measures have been stalled by legal challenges making their way through the courts.

  • The key difference is the NYC mandate will apply to all private employers, unlike the federal mandate, which targets businesses with 100 or more employees.

Many of the New York tech companies we’ve spoken to this year have already implemented a similar policy for employees who have voluntarily returned to the office. But for others, especially smaller startups, the maze of federal, state, and city policies could prove confusing.

What’s next: The mayor said more detailed plans will be released by Dec. 15 to address questions around compliance and enforcement.

The Tech:NYC team, including Director of Being a Good Girl, Bonnie. Photo: Buck Ennis.

What defines New York’s tech sector, how is it different from what it was five years ago, and what might it look like in the years to come? These are questions we are constantly thinking about at Tech:NYC, and they’re also the theme of a new feature out today in Crain’s New York Business. 

In the article, together with an op-ed by our own Julie Samuels, we got the opportunity to showcase what makes New York’s tech community great. Here are just some of the takeaways:

  • We’re New Yorkers first. People in tech here are not on their own island, they’re a part of the fabric of the city and committed to New York’s success.

  • There’s never been a better time to enter the sector. Whether for founders or job seekers, there are more venture capital investors, more employers, and overall more opportunities in New York tech than ever before.

  • Tech is optimistic about New York’s future. Tech companies big and small are expanding in the city, a sign of bullishness on the recovery, the incoming administration, and the longevity of New York as a center of commerce, culture, and innovation.

  • December 7: Virtual: 2022 Predictions in Tech: The Roaring 20s, with Tribeca Venture Partners partner Brian Hirsch, Eniac Ventures partner Hadley Harris, 645 Ventures partner Nnamdi Okike, and Work-Bench partner Jessica Lin. Hosted by Tribeca Venture Partners and Fenwick. Register here.

  • December 9: Virtual: Building in the Open, with Cockroach Labs CEO Spencer Kimball, Solo.io CEO Idit Levine, Timescale CEO Ajay Kulkarni, and others. Hosted by Work-Bench. Register here.

  • December 9: In-person and virtual: Innovations in Tech Education and Workforce Programming and Policy, with Union Square Ventures partner Fred Wilson, Hunter College president Jennifer Raab, Google NYC Tech Site Lead Aparna Pappu, and others. Register here.

  • December 10: Virtual: Making New York the Crypto Capital, with New York State Senator Diane Savino, eToro USA CEO Lule Demissie, Genesis CEO Michael Moro, and others. Hosted by City & State. Register here.

Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here. Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.