Tech:NYC Digest: March 16

Tech:NYC Digest: March 16

March 16, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Tuesday, March 16, 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: Citywide positivity rate stagnates at six to seven percent; New York Regents exams cancelled for rest of academic year; Shakespeare in the Park confirms return to outdoor performances; Two Sigma will allow WFH two days a week after Labor Day; listen to the latest episode of Talk:NYC with former NYCEDC head James Patchett.

By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 1,740,721 (+6,508)

  • New York City: 770,601 (+3,370)  

  • Statewide Fatalities: 39,636 (+51)

  • NYC Positivity Rates:

    • NYS reports: 4.2 percent (no change)

    • NYC reports: 6.4 percent (+0.2 percent)

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 4,576,614

    • NYC first doses administered: 1,605,694

General Updates:

  • In NYC, the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19, based on the city’s reported seven-day average, has hovered between six and seven percent for the past several weeks, a plateau epidemiologists are worried will be difficult to push down. (Wall Street Journal)

    • NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said much of that challenge is attributed to the more infectious variants increasingly becoming a larger share of new cases in the city.

    • As of the week of March 5th, a dozen zip codes had seven-day positivity rates above 10 percent.

  • But as the vaccination rollout continues, city officials seem to be confident a return to “normal” will come this spring — indoor dining expands to 50 percent on Friday, public high school students return to classrooms on Monday, and almost a quarter of all NYC residents have received at least one vaccine dose. (New York Magazine)

  • And the rollout is going well nationwide. The CDC reported yesterday that nine in ten Americans who have received the first dose went on to get the second dose within the correct time frame. (New York Times) While reassuring, most of those people are healthcare and other essential workers who had easier access to the vaccine at their sites of employment, and federal officials are warning the follow-up dose could become a bigger challenge for the general public.

One good listen: This week on Talk:NYC, Julie talks with James Patchett just after he wrapped his time as head of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. James has spent the last year leading the city’s early COVID response — coordinating everything from PPE production and small business relief — and has helped set the agenda for NYC’s long-term economic recovery. Listen here on our website or wherever you get podcasts.

The latest results: The most recent survey of NYC-based employers (conducted across the last three weeks) indicates that 45 percent expect to have employees back in the office by September, though another 14 percent are still not sure. Several other CEOs are split, as well. When your office reopens, how do you expect to structure your work week?

Today's poll

:

,

, and

have announced that any resident of the state (with slightly varying age parameters) can now get the vaccine. Pres. Biden plans to encourage states to open eligibility to all adults 18+ starting May 1. Starting tomorrow,

in New York will be eligible for the vaccine. Do you think New York should open eligibility to 100 percent of adults before May 1?

  • *|SURVEY: Yes, New York should allow all adults to get the vaccine now|*

  • *|SURVEY: No, but New York should accelerate the current phase schedule|*

  • *|SURVEY: No, New York should keep the current phase schedule|*

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

  • Moderna has begun testing children for its COVID-19 vaccine, giving first doses to those under 12 and as young as six months. (NPR) Dr. Fauci predicted that high school students could be eligible for the vaccine by fall term, but younger students might not receive it until the first quarter of 2022. (New York Post)

  • The New York State Board of Regents voted to cancel all Regents exams for the rest of the academic year (except for four federally mandated tests) as well as to ease requirements for students to receive their diplomas. (amNY)

  • The Public Theater announced Shakespeare in the Park will return to Central Park this summer, in a strong show of confidence that theaters, orchestras, and other arts groups are aiming to return to stage. Just for now, it’s outdoors. (New York Times)

Related reading:

  • Transit Got $30 Billion in Stimulus Aid. What Does That Mean for Riders? (New York Times)

  • How COVID Helped A Neighborhood Rediscover Its Restaurants (New York Times)

Working:

  • Many CEOs are taking on the role of “vaccine activists” in an effort to get their employees vaccinated and back at work. (Bloomberg)

    • Companies like Instacart are offering cash stipends to both workers and contractors who get the vaccine, and others are offering four to six hours of paid time off for their appointments.

    • Unilever is bringing in medical experts and other public health officials to regular all-hands meetings to promote vaccination efforts.

    • Companies like JPMorgan Chase are taking a “carrots and sticks” approach to highly encourage their workers to get it, but other industries like airlines and hotels are planning to require the vaccine, exposing them to potential legal hurdles.

  • Two Sigma Investments, which has 1,350 employees in Manhattan and about 1,600 worldwide, is planning to ask staff to return by Labor Day, and at that point, will experiment with a hybrid model that allows employees to WFH twice a week. (Bloomberg)

  • US job postings that tout remote work as a perk have more than doubled in the past year, according to job search site Indeed, signaling that remote flexibility will continue to be an attractive benefit as more workers head back to the office. (Bloomberg)

Related reading:

  • What working from home looks like around the world (Rest of World)

  • 6 tips from the coach who advises Google’s top executives for structuring your day when WFH (Business Insider)

  • 5 ways remote work is changing the economy for the better (Business Insider)

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 17: Virtual: Super Calendar Public Beta with Undock CEO Nash Ahmed, VP of AI and Machine Learning Chenda Bunkasem, and others. Guests have a chance to win a pair of AirPod Pros. (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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