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Tech:NYC Digest: March 19

Tech:NYC Digest: March 19

March 19, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Friday, March 19, 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 100M vaccine doses administered; NY to receive 1.6M doses per week through April due to stimulus bill “supercharge”; NYC restaurants open to 50 percent indoor dining capacity starting today; Manhattan office leases are picking back up, but NYC tech sector has sought 31 percent less square footage on average.

By the Numbers:

New York State: 1,765,755 (+8,262)
New York City: 784,607 (+4,569)
Statewide Fatalities: 39,808 (+59)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 4.1 percent (-0.1 percent)
- NYC reports: 6.6 percent (+0.2 percent)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 4,905,247 (+133,218)
- NYC first doses administered: 1,702,790 (+40,154)

General Updates:

There’s a lot to be optimistic about with the vaccine rollout:
- Today, Pres. Biden met his goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses nationwide in the first 100 days of his administration — six weeks early. (NPR) He’s now adjusted that goal to hit 150 million doses in the same time. (AP)
- In New York, Sen. Schumer says New York should start receiving more than 1.6 million vaccine doses each week — a 33 percent bump — between now and the end of April due to a manufacturing “supercharge” spurred by the stimulus bill. (New York Daily News)
- Additionally, 10 new vaccination sites are opening today across New York state, including one in the Bronx and three on Long Island. (CBS New York)
But there’s also plenty of evidence we aren’t out of the woods yet:
- New York and New Jersey are currently seeing the highest case rates in the country, having recently plateaued at more than double the national average. (Washington Post) This map from COVID Act Now tells you where the cause for concern is.
- But one thing worth noting: New York does a much higher volume of testing than other states, which could help explain the higher rate of reported cases, especially with variants becoming more dominant in the region.
- Across the country, average daily case counts are more than 10 percent higher in 17 states this week compared to last week. (CNN)
- Some other major global cities aren’t faring well either: more than a year later, Paris is going back into a full, month-long lockdown today as case counts and hospitalization numbers spike again. (Axios)
Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox, and with vaccinations ramping up and warm weather coming, we feel especially optimistic about the rebirth this season will bring. Here’s some things to (safely) do this weekend to kick off the season.

The latest results: Virtual events have been the primary way for people to gather professionally through the pandemic, and they’re likely here to stay beyond the pandemic. But many employees are eager to return to the in-person interactions that go along with live events. When it’s safe to resume industry events and other professional gatherings, what is your interest in doing so?

Today's poll

: New York and New Jersey are seeing the

highest rate of daily reported cases

in the country, even as both states proceed with reopening measures. Have you noticed any signs of an uptick in your immediate community?

*|SURVEY: Yes, I have noticed the uptick in my community|*
*|SURVEY: No, but I am aware there is an uptick more generally|*
*|SURVEY: No, and I was not aware of any uptick|*

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

Beginning today, restaurants in NYC are able to expand indoor dining to 50 percent capacity. (Eater NY)
The CDC relaxed guidance for social distancing in schools, saying three feet (instead of six feet) of distance is adequate. The update is meant to help bring more students back to classrooms for in-person instruction, but the CDC said the guidance assumes masks remain mandatory and that it only applies to students, not teachers and other adult school staff. (NBC News)
- With that guidance, Mayor de Blasio plans to offer families with public school students an additional chance to opt into in-person instruction earlier than planned. (New York Daily News) Elementary school grades will go to three feet of distance starting in April, and higher grade levels are still being assessed.
The Reimagine New York Commission, which was set up to make recommendations on how to leverage technology to support the state’s recovery efforts, announced the launch of ConnectED NY, an emergency fund to provide no-cost internet access for 50,000 students in economically disadvantaged school districts. Get more details here.
To align with the extension of the federal tax filing deadline, New York State will also extend its deadline to file state taxes to the same date, May 17th. (NYS)