Tech:NYC Digest: February 10

Tech:NYC Digest: February 10

February 10, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Wednesday, February 10, 2021As 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.

The latest: Two federally sponsored mass vaccination sites coming to Brooklyn and Queens, aim to reach underserved communities; sports and music arenas can reopen at 10 percent capacity Feb. 23, starting with a Nets game at the Barclays Center; CDC recommends double masking, says proper use can reduce transmission by 96.5 percent; AI and cyber professionals in New York saw increased demand and pay during the remote work era.

Confirmed Cases:

  • New York State: 1,494,187 (+7,101) 

  • New York City: 640,017 (+3,318)  

  • Statewide Fatalities: 36,619 (+136)

  • NYC Positivity Rates:

    • NYS reports: 5.1 percent (no change)

    • NYC reports: 8.5 percent (+0.4 percent)

General Updates:

  • NYC has closed 12 of its 15 neighborhood vaccination sites for part of the week due to low vaccine supply. (NY1) At the three still open — in lower Manhattan, East Harlem, and Queens — only second doses are being administered.

  • Meanwhile, Gov. Cuomo announced today the state, in partnership with the Biden Administration, is opening two mass vaccination sites at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn and at York College in Queens, in an effort to more equitably deliver doses to underserved communities. (NBC New York)

    • These sites will receive special dosage allocations from the federal government and be capable of administering 3,000 doses per day, making them the largest and most active vaccination sites in the state to date. Appointments at these sites will be reserved for eligible residents of their respective boroughs. 

  • A WHO panel has recommended the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for all adults over 18, potentially increasing use of that vaccine worldwide. (Bloomberg) However, South Africa has ceased using it amid concerns it doesn’t effectively protect against the dominant variant in the country. They will instead start administering Johnson & Johnson shots still in testing. (AP)

  • The CEO of Johnson & Johnson said that COVID vaccines may become an annual occurrence, much like the seasonal flu shot, as strains of the virus will continue to mutate and spread. (New York Post)

The latest results: While the Senate’s impeachment trial may be the most important legal development this week, this lawyer turned Zoom-kitten is certainly the most relatable. With all of our work and personal lives existing almost entirely virtually for the better part of a year, these sort of video call blunders are increasingly commonplace. Have you experienced a Zoom mishap?

Today's poll

: Local NYC startup funding broke records in 2020, and that’s

too. Even with the rise of remote work, tech hiring is also

in NYC and other large cities. Has your company onboarded new team members in the first part of the year?

 

 

 

  • *|SURVEY: Yes, new employees have started since the beginning of the year|*

  • *|SURVEY: Not yet, but new employees are slated to begin this quarter|*

  • *|SURVEY: No|*

Find the poll results from all previous editions of this newsletter here.

One Voting Thing:

2021 is an important year for NYC and its recovery. Central to that is the upcoming elections for the next mayor, 35 (of the 51) City Council members, and other local elected offices. Here’s one fast approaching deadline to be aware of:

  • This Sunday, February 14: all registered voters in New York must have declared a party affiliation to be eligible to participate in the June 22 primaries. The Board of Elections must receive your party declaration by February 14, or else it will not be counted.

  • New York has a “closed” primary system, so a party affiliation is required for your vote to count. Confirm or update your affiliation here.

  • If you are a new voter and registering for the first time, you must do so by May 28 to participate in the June 22 primary. Register online here.

For the first time, NYC elections will be conducted via ranked-choice voting. That, plus expanded early and mail-in voting options, will make voting look a little different this year. Throughout the year, Tech:NYC will continue sharing new resources and opportunities to help you remain informed and engaged.Reopening:

  • Beginning Feb. 23, large arenas that serve as sports and concert venues may reopen across New York, including the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. (NY State of Politics) Arenas’ safety plans must be submitted and approved by the Dept. of Health, and mandatory restrictions include a 10 percent capacity cap, negative tests prior to entry, required face coverings, and assigned seating that observes social distancing protocols.

  • New guidance from Gov. Cuomo states that vaccine providers can start reallocating second doses if someone doesn’t return to receive that dose within a 42-day timeframe. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have received doses through the federal vaccination program can also now reallocate unused doses. (Gothamist)

  • New CDC research found that tightly fitted masks, or doubling up with both cloth and surgical masks, could reduce virus transmission by up to 96.5 percent. (New York Times)

Related reading:

  • Rapid coronavirus tests: a guide for the perplexed (Nature)

  • What Are Vaccine Passports and How Would They Work? (Bloomberg)

  • What’s A Dance Theater Without an Audience? (New York Times)

Working:

  • A new survey shows that a quarter of American workers are either unsure about or not planning to get the vaccine when it’s available, and 45 percent of companies have not communicated a vaccination policy to their employees. (Axios)

  • The same survey found that roughly 40 percent of employers that shifted to remote work at the start of the pandemic are planning to have their workers return to the office as early as March. Company leaders are warning, however, that reversing remote work after a year and changing protocols again will be difficult. (CNBC)

  • Remote work has boosted demand and pay for New Yorkers working in AI and cybersecurity as companies increase efforts to automate more tasks and avoid hacks of employees working from home, according to a report out today from Hired and Vettery, two tech-focused job sites that merged last year. (Crain’s NY)

Related reading:

  • WFH is Corroding Our Trust in Each Other (Harvard Business Review)

  • Cisco CEO says employees are tired of having to work from home and want to come back to the office (CNBC)

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:

  • February 17: Virtual: Section 230 and Your Startup, with US Senate Committee on Finance Chief Adviser Jayme White, Engine Executive Director Kate Tummarello, and more. Hosted by Engine. (Details)

  • February 18: Virtual: VC Voices with H/L Ventures Co-founder and Managing Partner Oliver Libby. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

  • February 18: Virtual: A Conversation with Harlem Capital Managing Partner Jarrid Tingle. Hosted by Tech:NYC, Cornell Tech, and Bloomberg. (Details)

  • February 23: Virtual: Bitcoin Brunchwork, with Future\Perfect Ventures Founder and Managing Partner Jalak Jobanputra. Hosted by brunchwork. (Details)

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

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