Tech:NYC Newsletter
Posts
Tech:NYC Digest: March 10

Tech:NYC Digest: March 10

March 10, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

Wednesday, March 10, 2021As the vaccination rollout progresses and NYC continues to respond to the pandemic, this 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: $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill passes House, New York to get approx. $100 billion; NYC indoor dining capacity increasing to 50 percent March 19th; another 100 million J&J doses coming to the US by the end of the year; Tech:NYC and Change Research released a new poll today finding NYC’s tech community to be bullish on the city’s recovery — find our latest research here.

By the Numbers:

New York State: 1,699,817 (+6,489)
New York City: 749,011 (+3,420)
Statewide Fatalities: 39,230 (+58)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 3.9 percent (no change)
- NYC reports: 6.2 percent (+0.1 percent)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 3,972,100
- NYC first doses administered: 1,630,787

General Updates:

The US House joined the Senate in passing Pres. Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package this afternoon, clearing the way for some $100 billion in aid to reach New York. (Gothamist) More on that below.
Pres. Biden also announced today that the US will secure an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the end of the year, with the goal of having enough supply to vaccinate children and, if necessary, to administer booster doses that combat emerging variant strains of the virus. (NBC News)
New data from city health officials show the NYC and UK COVID-19 variants now account for 51 percent of new cases in the city. (ABC News) No additional cases of the South African or Brazil variants were detected in recent weeks.
A year after coronavirus abruptly shut down the country, an overwhelming majority of Americans say COVID-era health habits are here to say. (Axios) In a new poll, just seven percent of respondents said they plan to stop wearing masks in public after they’re vaccinated, and only 13 percent say they plan to stop social distancing.
According to a new poll from Tech:NYC and Change Research, nearly 90 percent of city tech workers (in a survey of 600) plan to vote in the upcoming mayoral primary election on June 22nd. (Crain’s NY) Find the rest of the poll results here, and if you haven’t already, register to vote here.

One project we love: A year ago, a community-based media center in Manhattan gave handheld cameras to five young filmmakers, aged 17-23, who have essential workers in their families who've helped keep the city running. The result: COVID Diaries NYC, now available on HBO and HBO Max.

The latest results: As the economic and COVID forecast continues to improve, the weather seems to be following suit. Today started what we hope will be a long streak of beautiful days to get outside and enjoy what the city has to offer, which even during a pandemic is a ton. What did you do to take advantage of the weather today?

Today's poll

: The House today passed the American Rescue Plan to unlock direct payments, more unemployment and small business assistance, child care support, and much more. However, some items, notably increasing the national minimum wage to $15 an hour, were cut out. New York is expected to receive about $100 billion. Does the stimulus bill shift your confidence in New York’s ability to recover economically?

*|SURVEY: Yes, I am more optimistic about our ability to recover|*
*|SURVEY: No, I am less optimistic about our ability to recover|*
*|SURVEY: It does not change how I feel about our ability to recover|*

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

American Rescue Plan:The $1.9 trillion stimulus package proposed by Pres. Biden passed the House this afternoon, and he is expected to sign it into law on Friday. (Washington Post) The bill is a major legislative achievement, injecting an amount of federal aid not seen since the Great Depression, with measures that are estimated to slash poverty by a third this year and potentially cut child poverty in half nationwide. (New York Times)

Of the full package, around $100 billion will come to New York — here’s what we can expect:

Direct payments: about 4.5 million NYC residents who make up to $75,000 annually will qualify for $1,400 direct payment through the bill. The checks are expected to begin disbursement about two weeks after the bill is signed into law. (CBS News)
Unemployment benefits: the bill extends the $300-per-week unemployment supplement to about 1.3 million qualifying NYC residents until Sept. 6. (THE CITY)
State and local government aid: NYC is expected to receive around $6 billion — and statewide, about $12.5 billion — in direct government aid, which will help cover small business and rental assistance programs, infrastructure projects, and more.
COVID-19 vaccinations and testing: the state will get about $4 billion to fund ongoing testing and vaccination efforts, as well as provide additional support to healthcare workers.
Child tax credit: The bill includes a landmark tax credit for families with children. (New York Times) The measure allocates $3,600 in payments for children aged 6 and younger and $3,000 for children up to age 18. The payments are made monthly and in advance, and so the result is essentially a guaranteed basic income for people with children.
Restaurants and bars: The state will receive a sizable share of $28.6 billion in funding dedicated to relief grants and loans for restaurants, though the exact amount is unclear. (AP)
Other local aid: Here’s other earmarked funding New York is slated to receive. (New York Post)
- $6.5 billion for the MTA;
- $9 billion for NYC K-12 schools;
- $418 million for NYC-area airports;
- a share of $470 million for arts and cultural organizations;
- $358 million for the NY Broadband Investment Program;
- $1.7 billion for Amtrak operations at Penn Station and other hubs
The bill also includes funding that will enable NYC to launch a $65 million relief fund to help taxi drivers bearing the brunt of the economic fallout due to low ridership over the past year. (New York Post)
A couple of components that didn’t make it in the final bill: an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, as well as funding for Seaway International Bridge between upstate New York and Canada. (New York Times)

Reopening:

Here’s a helpful guide of what the stimulus package passed today means for the direct payments coming to Americans — and what that means for things like your health insurance, student loans, tax rebates, and other relief measures. (New York Times)
NYC restaurants (as well as New Jersey restaurants statewide) will be permitted to expand indoor dining to 50 percent capacity beginning March 19th. (NY1) Both are currently allowing operations at 35 percent, and this announcement follows a separate one that will allow restaurants across the rest of New York State to expand to 75 percent on the same day.
A rush of overnight summer camps are planning to reopen for the season in at least 45 states, including New York. (AP)
US airlines carried an average of more than one million passengers per day in the past week, the highest non-holiday travel levels since the pandemic began. (Bloomberg) As more people resume travel, airlines and business groups are asking Pres. Biden to develop more standardized credentials that would help travelers show they’ve been tested and/or vaccinated. (AP)