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Tech:NYC Digest: March 24

Tech:NYC Digest: March 24

March 24, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Wednesday, March 24, 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: Milestone: 70 percent of 65+ age adults have one shot; latest mayoral poll finds 50 percent of likely voters are undecided; offices in San Francisco open at 25 percent capacity, but few companies there have plans to move in any time soon; check out our latest Companies to Watch featuring four fantastic female founders!

By the Numbers:

New York State: 1,801,756 (+7,278)
New York City: 803,440 (+3,809)
Statewide Fatalities: 40,096 (+71)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 4.1 percent (no change)
- NYC reports: 6.4 percent (+0.5 percent)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 5,373,954 (+88,344)
- NYC first doses administered: 1,879,976 (+22,415)

General Updates:

As of today, 70 percent of US adults aged 65 and up have been inoculated with one shot of the COVID vaccine. That is up from eight percent only seven weeks ago. (White House) More than 84 million people have received at least one shot, with 45 million fully vaccinated.
A new test by The Markup evaluated every state’s COVID-19 vaccine website to measure performance, accessibility, and privacy protections, and New York scored among the top. (The Markup) The tests found no ad trackers or third-party cookies on New York sites and ranked the state in the 90+ category out of 100 for accessibility.
A new report estimates that as much as 25 percent of Americans will opt out of receiving the vaccine this year, but if those people resume social activities, the US could experience a “perfect storm” of an additional 4.6 million cases of coronavirus this year. (Bloomberg)
With its vaccine in full production, Pfizer is now starting early stage clinical trials in the US for an oral antiviral drug to treat COVID-19. (The Hill)

One good read

In honor of Women’s History Month, we spoke with four female founders in NYC about what it’s been like building a new startup during the pandemic — and what more industry can do to support women entrepreneurs. See our latest Companies to Watch here.

The latest results: New York still has one of the highest positivity rates in the country, and city officials are reiterating that, even with the vaccines, robust testing is key to tracking the virus, and increased access to at-home testing and rapid testing sites across the city may help. Have you received a COVID-19 test in the past month?

Today's poll

: A new study found that, in reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, US national media (e.g., CNN, Fox News, New York Times) produces

far more negative coverage

than local and regional sources or international sources, regardless of political lean. Experts are conflicted on whether that means national outlets are focused more on the hard facts or if they are not shining enough light on positive stories of resilience and scientific breakthrough. Where do you get the majority of your COVID-related news?

*|SURVEY: National news sources|*
*|SURVEY: Local and regional news sources|*
*|SURVEY: Scientific news sites and journals|*
*|SURVEY: Social media|*
*|SURVEY: This newsletter!|*

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

There's another useful app built by a tech worker volunteer: this one regularly pulls data from New York State portals and CVS to display vaccine appointment availability in cities and towns statewide. It’s updated every 15 minutes and also shows trend data that gives you insight into the historical frequency of appointment availability in those places. Explore the tool here.
Gov. Cuomo today launched the Citizen Public Health Training Program, a free course developed by Cornell University faculty and researchers meant to empower New Yorkers to be prepared to respond to future public health crises. (Spectrum News)
- The course is an eight-session, 16-hour curriculum that is self-paced. Enrollment begins today and the program begins on April 30th. Find more details and register online here.
In mayoral election news: the latest poll shows the Democratic primary race in June is still wide open, with half of the respondents saying they’re undecided. (New York Post)
The MTA announced it will continue its enhanced cleaning regimen across the subway system even after the pandemic is over. (New York Post) It’s unclear what that means for any return to full 24/7 overnight service in the system.