Tech:NYC Digest: March 22

Tech:NYC Digest: March 22

March 22, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Monday, March 22, 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: Final “yellow zones” in Bronx, Manhattan, Queens lifted; NYC high schools reopen, next opt-in period for in-person learning ends April 7; first case of Brazilian variant confirmed in Brooklyn; Microsoft announces reopening of Washington HQ on March 29th.

By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 1,787,677 (+6,361) 

  • New York City: 796,139 (+3,565) 

  • Statewide Fatalities: 39,970 (+46) 

  • NYC Positivity Rates:

    • NYS reports: 4.1 percent (no change)

    • NYC reports: 6.6 percent (as of March 21st)*

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 5,198,113

    • NYC first doses administered: 1,796,044

*Due to a technical issue with the city’s reporting system, today’s data on NYC positivity rates is unavailable.

General Updates:

  • Following announcements from Gov. Cuomo that indoor fitness classes can resume and indoor dining in NYC may expand to 50 percent, some experts are questioning the pace of the city’s reopening. (New York Times)

    • Concerns are ongoing about data that shows the city’s positivity rate has plateaued at a high level in recent weeks, and that the dominance of variant strains could mean the virus is still very contagious.

    • Mayor de Blasio has called on state officials to pause any further reopening measures and reassess the situation given the prevalence of variant strains. (New York Post)

    • Twenty-five zip codes in NYC currently have a positivity rate at 10 percent or higher. (NYC)

  • New data from AstraZeneca’s clinical trials in the US shows its vaccine is 79 percent effective, higher than observed in previous trials. The new report suggests the vaccine provides complete protection against severe disease and death, and with no serious side effects. (New York Times) The company is preparing to apply for emergency use authorization. If approved, it would be the fourth vaccine available in the US against coronavirus.

  • A new Lancet study offers new insights on the possibility of getting COVID-19 twice. While reinfection is rare, it’s more likely for older people. But a couple caveats: this is the first large-scale study on reinfection, and it didn’t test or trace for variant stains, so there’s still a lot that’s unknown. (Fast Company)

  • And, if for some reason you need more convincing to get the vaccine: Krispy Kreme will give you a free donut. (New York Daily News)

The latest results: 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?

Today's poll

: Subway ridership has been slowly increasing as reopening and vaccination efforts progress — today it stands at about

, up from an all-time low of seven percent last spring. The return to the subways, however, hasn’t been even across the city: a

shows the largest increases

. How often are you now taking the subway?

(This is a recurring question, responses help Tech:NYC track trends over time.)

  • *|SURVEY: Daily|*

  • *|SURVEY: One or more times weekly|*

  • *|SURVEY: One or more times monthly|*

  • *|SURVEY: Sporadically|*

  • *|SURVEY: I haven't returned to the subway|*

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

  • Beginning tomorrow at 8am, eligibility to receive the vaccine expands to all New Yorkers age 50 years or older. Check for new rounds of appointments slots here.

  • New York pharmacies, which were previously only vaccinating individuals age 60 years or older and teachers, many now accept anyone with an underlying condition. The change is meant to standardize eligibility measures across different types of vaccination sites. (New York Post)

  • NYC high schools reopened today, marking the last phase of reopening for public schools. Roughly 55,000 students have resumed some in-person learning at 488 schools in all five boroughs. (ABC New York) Students currently fully remote can opt-in for in-person learning again between March 24th and April 7th.

  • A 90+ year old Brooklyn resident with no recent travel history became the first person to test positive for the Brazilian variant of COVID-19 in New York. (NBC News)

  • Tax code changes related to everything from health care costs to the child tax credit are complicating an already confusing tax filing season. Updated IRS guidance that accounts for these changes is expected to come in the next week. (Axios)

Related reading:

  • How a lottery can bring equity to the COVID vaccination process (The Hill)

  • Your Vocal Cords Hate the Pandemic, Too (Elemental)

  • It’s party time for senior citizens (New York Times)

Working:

  • As of the week of March 15th, office occupancy is still at just 25 percent in ten major cities across the US, with New York and San Francisco at the lowest levels. (Axios) 

    • That data comes from Kastle Systems, a building security operator, which said that it will also allow property owners and employers to add vaccination status as a factor to control workers’ access to offices.

  • Microsoft announced it will begin reopening its Washington state headquarters on March 29th, with a hybrid workplace model. (The Verge) The “soft reopening” is stage four of a six-stage strategy the company has outlined. The company is basing decisions on internal employee surveys, which found 70 percent of workers want flexible remote work options to continue. See more details here.

  • Bolthouse Farms, which already hosts weekly “coronavirus vaccine drives,” is now also offering $500 bonuses to workers who get the vaccine. (Wall Street Journal)

Related reading:

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 24: Virtual: Learn how you can expand students’ career horizons by team teaching CS classes during the 2021-22 school year in NYC Department of Education high schools. Presented by Microsoft and Code.org. (Details)

  • March 27: Virtual: AMA Live, with Venmo and Fin co-founder Andrew Kortina. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

  • March 31: Virtual: Work Shifting Summit, with IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Facebook VP Carolyn Everson, Verizon chief human resources officer Christy Piambanchi, and more. Hosted by Bloomberg. (Details)

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

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