Tech:NYC Digest: March 15

Tech:NYC Digest: March 15

March 15, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Monday, March 15, 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: US surpasses 100 million doses administered; state Senate and Assembly put out initial budgets, outline $7B in proposed tax hikes; 17 rapid test sites opening in NYC to help support events and entertainment industry; Goldman Sachs bumps up return to office timeline, plans to bring 41,000 people back by summer’s end.

By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 1,734,213 (+5,807)

  • New York City: 797,231 (+3,004) 

  • Statewide Fatalities: 39,585 (+58)

  • NYC Positivity Rates:

    • NYS reports: 4.2 percent (+0.2 percent)

    • NYC reports: 6.2 percent (-0.2 percent)

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 4,493,757

    • NYC first doses administered: 1,515,397

General Updates:

  • More than 100 million Americans have now received at least one dose of the vaccine. (CBS News) The milestone comes off of a particularly strong Saturday, when a record 4.6 million doses were administered in a single day.

  • As a reminder: New Yorkers aged 60 or older can now book appointments to receive the vaccine, and beginning Wednesday, public service, nonprofit, and building service workers who interface with the public will become eligible, as well. (NBC New York)

    • To put that in perspective: the number of vaccine-eligible New Yorkers will climb to 12 million people, or 80 percent of all adults in the state. (Gothamist)

  • Meanwhile, across the border in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont is accelerating their vaccination rollout, opening eligibility up to people aged 45 to 54 on Friday, and then to every adult younger than 45 beginning April 5th. (Hartford Courant)

  • State legislators have begun negotiations to finalize New York’s annual budget, and both the Senate and Assembly have released proposals that include nearly $7 billion in new taxes. (New York Post) The passage of the American Rescue Plan gives the state some breathing room to resolve the budget deficit, but further details of the state’s plan coming in the next two weeks will show by how much. The final budget is due on April 1st. (Spectrum News)

One event worth your time: tomorrow, join us for the latest edition of our monthly speaker series, featuring General Assembly CEO Lisa Lewin. She took on the chief executive role when NYC was in the peak of the pandemic, and we’ll discuss her thoughts on how COVID-19 has reshaped online education and what the future of work will look like post-pandemic. RSVP to join us tomorrow, 5:30pm ET here.

The latest results: In his first primetime address last night, Pres. Biden said he would advise all states and territories to make the vaccine available to all adults on May 1st, a deadline he says could return life to fairly “normal” by July 4th. How do you think you’ll be celebrating Independence Day this year?

Today's poll

: The most recent survey of NYC-based employers (conducted across the last three weeks) indicates that 45 percent expect to

in the office by September, though another 14 percent are still not sure. Several other CEOs

, as well. When your office reopens, how do you expect to structure your work week?

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll spend most weekdays in the office|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll spend most weekdays WFH|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll split my time between the office and home equally|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll be in the office full-time|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll be WFH full-time|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’m not sure|*

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

  • Twenty-six new sites to provide low-cost rapid tests are opening in New York (17 in the five boroughs), designed to help enhance economic activity for events like weddings and those at entertainment venues. COVID-19 tests at each site are available for no more than $30 and provide results within 30 minutes. Get more details here.

  • Many NYC residential building managers are introducing new policies for doormen, security guards, and other contractors who interface with the public to mandate they get the vaccine as soon as they become eligible this week. (The Real Deal)

  • Facebook is partnering with Boston Children’s Hospital and other public health institutions to expand its COVID-19 Information Center to connect users to information about where and when to get the vaccine. Real-time trends, plus instructions for how to get an appointment, will be available across Facebook and Instagram, as well as through official chatbots on WhatsApp. (Axios)

  • The WHO’s top scientist said that as many as eight new vaccines for the coronavirus could be available by the end of the year, including ones that don’t require needles and can be stored at room temperature. (Bloomberg) In particular, the WHO is preparing for the future need of booster shots to combat more resistant coronavirus strains.

Related reading:

  • COVID Vaccine Side Effects: Everything You Need to Know (New York Magazine)

  • Vaccine hesitancy: Who is getting vaccinated, and why (Recode)

  • How America’s COVID-19 Nightmare Ends: Why Dr. Ashish Jha thinks life could return to normal very soon (New York Times)

  • 17 Reasons to Let the Economic Optimism Begin (New York Times)

Working:

  • Many top executives are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as the vaccination rollout progresses, but they remain split on what it means for when they can expect employees to be back in the office, as well as expectations around business travel and remote work’s long-term viability. Here’s a good roundup of what they’re saying. (Wall Street Journal)

  • Goldman Sachs told its 41,000 employees they should all expect to be back in the office by the end of summer, a timeline sooner than expected. (The Times) Previously CEO David Solomon told workers to expect to come back by the end of the year.

  • Meanwhile, a survey of 174 NYC-based companies shows that almost half expect to have employees back in the office in September. Another 14 percent said they still weren’t sure. (Gothamist)

  • Among the variables to consider with the “new normal” of work: childcare. A new report from NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer indicates that more than half of NYC women who provide care for children have had to cut back on work hours in the year since the pandemic began. (New York Daily News)

Related reading:

  • From Remote Work to Hybrid Work: The Tech You’ll Need to Link Home and Office (Wall Street Journal)

  • 4 key pieces of advice for business owners of color from a Google digital coach (CNBC)

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:

  • March 16: Virtual: A Conversation with Lisa Lewin, CEO of General Assembly. Hosted by Tech:NYC, Cornell Tech, and Bloomberg. (Details)

  • March 18: Virtual: #notapitch: Unofficial Feedback on Your Idea/Prototype from a VC, with Brooklyn Bridge Ventures partner Charlie O’Donnell. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

  • March 18: Virtual: Frank Conversations with Women Founders and Funders, with The Cru founder Tiffany Dufu and Techstars NYC managing director Jenny Fielding. Hosted by NY Ventures and NYSTAR. (Details)

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

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