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Tech:NYC Digest: February 16

Tech:NYC Digest: February 16

February 16, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Tuesday, February 16, 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: One million New Yorkers have received both vaccine shots; Biden Administration again upping vaccine allocation to states as supply is still short of demand; Cuomo admits mistake for nursing home deaths cover-up, new Siena poll shows his approval ratings are unchanged; Spotify announces work-from-anywhere model without location-based salary adjustments.

Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 1,542,887 (+6,753)
New York City: 665,263 (+3,700)
Statewide Fatalities: 37,328 (+107)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 4.4 percent (no change)
- NYC reports: 7.1 percent (+0.1 percent)

General Updates:

New York continues to show progress against the winter surge, with all 10 regions of the state now reporting positivity rates below five percent. (NYS) As of yesterday, one million New Yorkers are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. (NBC Albany)
At his regular briefing yesterday, Gov. Cuomo delivered a lengthy response to criticisms over how his Administration has handled data on nursing home deaths related to COVID-19. (New York Times) Reports now show that more than 15,000 people have died from coronavirus in nursing homes, but as recently as late January, the state was reporting only about 8,500 deaths.
- The governor admitted he made a “mistake” in not providing data about the deaths in a timely fashion but defended his choice to prioritize Dept. of Justice requests over state lawmaker requests for more information.
- But, in response, there is a mounting bipartisan push for the removal of his pandemic emergency powers, with over a dozen Democratic state senators joining most Republicans. (Washington Post) The powers are set to expire in April, but a special session to remove them sooner may be called. (NY State of Politics)
- Despite the controversy, a new Siena poll, conducted last week, found only a one point drop in the governor’s favorability rating, with 56 percent of respondents backing his administration. (Politico)
The Biden Administration will increase the number of vaccine doses shipped to states to 13.5 million per week, up from 11 million. (CNBC) It isn’t immediately clear what that means for New York’s allocation, but Council Member (and Health Committee Chair) Mark Levine guessed it would mean roughly about 25,000 additional doses per week.
The demand is certainly there: New York State expanded eligibility for the vaccine over the weekend to include any resident with certain underlying conditions, a category that accounts for about four million people. (New York Times) More than 250,000 new appointments were booked on the first day the state opened up eligibility to people with underlying conditions. (NY State of Politics)
Dr. Fauci revised his timeline for the general public to get the vaccine, now saying that May or June is more likely due to limited supplies and a slower than expected Johnson & Johnson approval. (Reuters)
NYC today released vaccine data by ZIP code for the first time, indicating that the city’s hardest-hit neighborhoods have the lowest vaccination rates. (NY1) Here’s the map to explore your area.
The first case of the South Africa strain has been confirmed in a NYC hospital. However, the patient originated in Connecticut and was transferred to New York for a procedure. (NBC New York)

One good read: More than 700 people have been keeping digital diaries as part of the Pandemic Journaling Project. It may be the most complete record of our shifting moods in the last year. (New York Times)

The latest results: Indoor dining reopens across New York City today at limited capacity. The reopening was moved up so that restaurants could benefit from Valentine’s Day outings. Do you have plans to dine this weekend?

Today's poll

: Well the results are in for the top pizza joints in New York City (

according to Google

): Joe’s Pizza and Scarr’s Pizza in Manhattan. Debate settled? We’re not so sure. But something that is true, this has been

a great year for pizza

with sales up four percent nationally. What’s your pandemic pizza pattern been like?

*|SURVEY: I've ordered more pizza|*
*|SURVEY: I've ordered the same amount of pizza|*
*|SURVEY: I've ordered less pizza|*
*|SURVEY: I don't eat pizza|*

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

NYC Council Member Mark Levine is introducing a bill to require the NYC Health Dept. create a new website to streamline and simplify how New Yorkers register for vaccine appointments. (New York Post)
Beginning Feb. 22, the MTA will reduce the overnight subway closure period to two hours, from 2am to 4am. That’s down from the five-hour period the system has been closed each night for disinfecting and cleaning. (NY1)
The MTA is expected to raise tolls on bridges and tunnels by seven percent in April as it continues to search for ways to fund subway, bus, and rail services amid ridership losses. (Wall Street Journal)
Makers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is beginning a clinical trial for vaccines for children. It will test children aged 6 to 17 years old, but public health experts expect that they (Washington Post)
In an effort to accelerate the vaccine rollout nationwide, Pres. Biden is consulting with several tech companies with “logistical and technical expertise” that are well-situated to help out with distribution efforts. (POLITICO)