Tech:NYC Digest: January 27

Tech:NYC Digest: January 27

January 27, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Thursday, January 27, 2022

In today’s digest, new Omicron mutation detected in the US, LaGuardia Airport opens a new terminal, and what it takes to enforce office COVID policies.

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 17,305

    • New positive cases, NYC: 6,392

  • NYC Positivity Rate: 6.4 percent (-0.6 percent)

  • NYC Hospitalizations: 4,005 (-321)

  • Statewide Vaccine Progress: 

    • Percentage of all New Yorkers with least one dose: 87.2 percent

    • Percentage of all New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated: 73.8 percent 

Today’s latest: 

  • NYC’s public schools will halve the minimum required isolation period to five days from ten for students who test positive for the coronavirus, as well as the quarantine rule for unvaccinated students exposed to the virus. (New York Times)

  • A mutation of the Omicron variant, called BA.2, has been detected in at least 40 countries, including the US. However, there is no evidence that the new strain is more transmissible or escapes immunity better than the original Omicron strain. (CBS News)

  • The nationwide median price of a one-bedroom rental apartment this month is up 12 percent year-over-year, according to online rental site Zumper. (Axios) Latest rankings show NYC at the top spot, and Boston is poised to overtake San Francisco in the coming months. 

  • Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul today unveiled the completed renovations of LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, a $4 billion project completed over six years. (Bloomberg)

In other reading:

  • Yes, Omicron Is Loosening Its Hold. But the Pandemic Has Not Ended. (New York Times) 

  • Which At-Home Covid Test Is Best for You? PCR-Like Gadgets vs. Rapid Antigen Kits (Wall Street Journal)

  • Here’s what to do if you lose your US vaccination card (New York Times)

OSHA’s vaccine mandate rule for large employers is now officially out of the picture, and legal challenges to New York’s statewide mask mandate are ongoing. That could punt decisions on workplace-based safety rules to the employers themselves, and for some, it could be tricky and confusing.

  • Employment law experts say the Supreme Court’s ruling against the OSHA mandate eliminates the “cover” that federal rules gave businesses hesitant to implement requirements of their own. (Forbes)

  • While some major (non-tech) employers like General Electric and Starbucks have now dropped their vaccination and testing requirements, most are keeping their own mandates in place. (CNN)

But in New York, tech or otherwise, any shift in policy will be hardly felt. Harris Mufson, a partner in Gibson Dunn’s labor and employment practice group, reminded us there are still legal requirements New York employers must follow:

  • NYC’s vaccine mandate for all employers is still in effect, and all businesses are required to verify proof of vaccination of every employee coming to the office.

  • The state’s NY HERO Act, which requires a certain standard of workplace safety protocols, also remains in effect.

What to watch for: New York-based companies are subject to some of the most stringent COVID-related rules in the country, but they must also contend with competing sets of requirements for employees in other states and localities. The time and resources necessary to comply with them all could become increasingly difficult. Absent a nationwide government standard, tech companies may find it best to carry on with their own nationwide workplace standard.

In other reading: 

  • Blockdaemon, a New York City-based blockchain infrastructure company for node management and staking, raised $207 million in Series C funding. Sapphire Ventures and Tiger Global co-led the round and were joined by SoftBank, Boldstart Ventures, StepStone Group, Matrix Capital Management, and Lerer Hippeau. (Coindesk)

  • Esusu, a New York City-based credit building startup, raised $130m million in Series B funding at a $1 billion valuation. SoftBank led the round and was joined by Jones Feliciano Family Office, Lauder Zinterhofer Family Office, Schusterman Foundation, Related Cos., and Wilshire Lane Capital. (TechCrunch)

  • Fireblocks, a New York City-based infrastructure provider for digital assets, raised $500 million in Series E funding. D1 Capital Partners and Spark Capital co-led the round and were joined by General Atlantic, Index Ventures, Mammoth, CapitalG, Altimeter, Iconiq, Canapi Ventures, and Parafi Growth Fund. (TechCrunch)

  • February 1: Virtual: How tech is making sure shopping will never be the same, with Fast COO Allison Barr Allen, Fabric CEO Faisal Masud, and Pinterest SVP of Engineering Jeremy King. Hosted by Protocol. Register here.

  • February 1: Virtual: Hospitality in the Digital Age, with Olo founder and CEO Noah Glass. Hosted by Savills. Register here.

  • February 2: Virtual: Reality+ from the Matrix to the Metaverse, with author and NYU Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness director David Chalmers. Hosted by NYC Media Lab. Register here.

  • February 10: Virtual: How to Raise Funding and Scale a Startup, with New York Angels founder David S. Rose, Caribu CEO Maxeme Tuchman, and more. Hosted by DownToDash and Innovatemap. Register here.

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