Tech:NYC Digest: February 3

Tech:NYC Digest: February 3

February 03, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Wednesday, February 3, 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: Moderna requests approval to increase dosage per vial by 50 percent; Democrats start budget reconciliation process to approve $1.9T stimulus without Republican buy-in; stimulus package would include $25B relief grants for restaurant industry; Zoom looking to future with new feature designed for hybrid conference room meetings.

Confirmed Cases:

  • New York State: 1,433,304 (+5,925)

  • New York City: 610,346 (+2,583)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 35,631 (+160)

  • NYC Positivity Rates:

    • NYS reports: 5.1 percent (no change)

    • NYC reports: 8.1 percent (-0.1 percent)

General Updates:

  • Following updated state guidance that gives local governments the option of opening up vaccination eligibility, NYC officials have confirmed restaurant workers, including delivery workers, can now get vaccinated. (Grub Street)

  • The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine — which hasn’t yet received emergency use authorization in the US — has been shown to not only protect people from serious illness and death, but also reduce transmission of the virus, according to the latest study by Oxford. (Wall Street Journal)

  • US regulators are reviewing whether to allow Moderna to increase the number of doses in its vials from the current 10 to 15 doses, which could help accelerate the country’s vaccination rate. (New York Times)

  • In stimulus news: After meeting with a group of 10 GOP officials to discuss the next relief package, Pres. Biden told Senate Democrats that the Republican plan is “too small.” (Axios) Senate Democrats have initiated the process of budget reconciliation, which would clear the way for them to more easily approve Pres. Biden’s $1.9 trillion proposal through a simple majority vote instead of relying on Republican support. (New York Times)

  • Meanwhile, the Senate reached a power-sharing agreement that hands control of Senate committees to Democrats. (Axios)

One fun read: How Zoom’s executives managed a period of explosive growth while working from their own platform. (New York Magazine)

 

The latest results: For Groundhog Day, NYC had luck: Staten Island Chuck predicts an early spring. However, his Philadelphia rival Punxsutawney Phil drew a different expert conclusion and declared we’re in store for six more weeks of winter. With predictions that the more transmissible UK strain will take hold come late March, how do you feel about the upcoming spring?

Today's poll

: A new poll shows that Americans are

about transmission of the variant strains of the coronavirus — some of which could be

to current vaccines — and could mean further delays on when we can return to “normal” daily life. Others are hopeful an accelerated vaccination plan will get us back to pre-pandemic life. When do you think we’ll get to a pre-COVID normal?

 

 

 

  • *|SURVEY: In the next six months|*

  • *|SURVEY: In the next year|*

  • *|SURVEY: One year or more|*

  • *|SURVEY: Two years or more|*

  • *|SURVEY: Never|*

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

  • A new study shows that adults aged 20-49 were responsible for the vast majority of transmission last year that resulted in mostly older people dying. (Axios)

  • Dr. Fauci signaled the CDC may recommend wearing two masks in an effort to prevent spread of the more contagious variants of the coronavirus. (Bloomberg)

  • Bracelets, rings, key fobs, and watches that double as credit or debit cards are enjoying wider popularity as COVID-wary consumers gravitate toward contactless payments. (Axios)

  • Pres. Biden’s stimulus proposal includes a $25 billion grant program for struggling restaurants. (New York Post) Unlike PPP, these grants won’t require specific revenue thresholds and won’t need to be paid back, unless the establishment permanently closes, in which case it turns into a low-interest loan.

  • Beginning this spring, Brooklyn College will begin offering a class on the coronavirus pandemic, with units on data analysis, public health policy, and the national response to the virus and vaccine rollout. (amNY)

  • Revel, the electric-moped sharing provider, is opening one of the city’s largest EV charging hubs in Williamsburg this spring. The site will have 30 stations open around the clock, capable of delivering 100 miles of charge to vehicles in about 20 minutes. (Wall Street Journal)

Related reading:

  • What To Know About COVID-19 and the Super Bowl (New York Times)

  • More experts now recommend medical masks. Good ones are hard to find. (Washington Post) 

  • Why Are So Many Health-Care Workers Resisting the COVID Vaccine? (The New Yorker)

Working:

  • The New York State Assembly passed legislation today authorizing paid leave for public and private sector employees to receive COVID-19 vaccines. (NY Assembly)

  • Zoom is rolling out several new features, including the ability for users to pair a Zoom Room system with their own iOS or Android mobile devices. The new feature allows users to control the meeting from their device only. With certain conference-room camera hardware, the company is also adding a head-count feature that will report the number of people in a physical meeting in the interest of ensuring that social distancing guidelines are met. (Fast Company)

Related reading:

  • Why your “work bestie” matters (Axios)

  • Airstream adds office space to its trailers so you can work from wherever (CNN)

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 5: Virtual: 2020 Virtual Careers Panel: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Tech and Media Jobs Market. Hosted by NYC Media Lab. (Details)

  • February 9: Virtual: Meet the VCs Taking on Climate Change, with Union Square Ventures’ Albert Wegner. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

  • February 11: Virtual: The Future of Work, with Pursuit CEO Jukay Hsu, Pymetrics CEO Frida Polli, and others. Hosted by Savills. (Details)

  • 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)

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

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