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Tech:NYC Digest: January 15

Tech:NYC Digest: January 15

January 15, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Friday, January 15, 2021Programming note: Tech:NYC will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’ll see you on Tuesday!Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

The latest: Previously touted reserve of second doses stored by the Trump Administration does not in fact exist; President-elect Biden unveils $1.9T stimulus proposal, seeks to up minimum wage; NYC venture capital startup funding up 35 percent year-over-year; Adobe joins growing list of companies devising hybrid post-pandemic workspaces.

Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 1,203,550 (+19,942)
New York City: 508,357 (+7,725)
Statewide Fatalities: 32,566 (+183)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 5.7 percent (-0.1 percent)
- NYC reports: 8.7 percent (+0.2 percent)

General Updates:

Following the announcement that the federal government would release the supply of vaccines being held back for second doses, officials are now saying no such reserve actually exists. (Washington Post) Gov. Cuomo said today that distribution is lagging, and New York expects to receive a supply of 250,000 doses next week, down from the 300,000 per week it has been getting. (NY State of Politics)
- That’s a problem because supply has not increased at all proportionally with expanded eligibility. In following CDC guidance, more than seven million New Yorkers are eligible to receive the vaccine, but the state is nowhere near having enough doses to cover them all. In most sites, appointments are booked 14 weeks out to receive the shot. (CNBC)
- Mayor de Blasio said today that, because of the misalignment in demand and supply, NYC will run out of vaccine doses by next week. (New York Post)
As expected, President-elect Biden released details on his $1.9 trillion stimulus plan. It includes $1,400 direct payments to Americans, a $15 federal minimum wage, and unemployment benefits extensions through September. (New York Times) It also includes $350 billion in aid to state and local governments, something Gov. Cuomo has been very vocal about prioritizing. (NY State of Politics)
As he heads into inauguration week, Biden is also overhauling the federal approach to vaccine distribution and education, naming former FDA chief David Kessler to lead its response efforts and retiring the Operation Warp Speed name used by the Trump Administration. (Bloomberg)
The more contagious variant of the coronavirus, which was first found in Britain and has since been reported in several US states, is expected to become the dominant source of new infections by March, according to the CDC. (New York Times) In New York, another six cases of the variant have been confirmed after a new case was discovered in Nassau County, bringing the total up to 16. (ABC New York)

The latest results: In the spring, at least 42 percent of you reported turning in to Gov. Cuomo’s COVID-19 briefings on a regular basis. Today, more than eight months later, he delivered the final part of his four-part State of the State address. This is his 11th time doing the address, and the first time it has been stretched over multiple days. Have you tuned in?

Today's poll

: Following a recent court decision, Gov. Cuomo announced that

indoor dining may resume

at 50 percent capacity in hotspot regions across the state where it has been restricted, except for NYC. While Gov. Cuomo argues that NYC has unique density and other risk factors that should keep indoor dining closed, critics argue it has a lower average positivity rate than other regions now allowing restaurants to reopen. What do you think the policy for the city should be?

*|SURVEY: Indoor dining in NYC should remain closed in NYC|*
*|SURVEY: Indoor dining in NYC should have the same policy as other regions|*
*|SURVEY: Indoor dining in NYC should be allowed to more fully reopen|*

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

Reopening:

Venture capital firms pumped $5.6 billion into startups in the New York metro area during the last three months of 2020, up 35 percent from the same period in 2019. (Crain’s NY)
New data shows that the numbers of new leases executed in Manhattan nearly doubled last month, a sign that more preferential rents and other landlord perks were drawing in more tenants. (Bloomberg) However, long-term tenants in rent-regulated buildings owe city landlords over $1 billion, according to new data. (The Real Deal)
If you’re traveling outside of the country, prepare to take a COVID-19 test ahead of your return flight. (New York Times) Beginning Jan. 26, all international travelers — including Americans returning from abroad — will have to show negative test results before boarding the flight.
- The only alternative: if you can prove you have recovered from being infected in the last three months and have a doctor’s note clearing you for travel, you can board without a test result. If you’ve already been vaccinated, you still have to show a recent negative test result.
Some heartbreaking stats: coronavirus-related deaths are remaining consistently high in the first month of the year. New Jersey tops the list of most COVID-19 deaths per capita, reporting 227 deaths per 100,000 residents. Massachusetts comes in at 196, Connecticut at 182, and New York at 164. See the full nationwide map here.