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Tech:NYC Digest: March 3

Tech:NYC Digest: March 3

March 03, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Wednesday, March 3, 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: New York announces guidance to reopen theaters and arts venues; Senate negotiating stimulus, limits direct check eligibility further; indoor and outdoor residential gatherings permitted at small capacity starting later this month; new Care.com survey finds 98 percent of employers plan to expand employee benefits.

By the Numbers:

New York State: 1,650,184 (+7,704)
New York City: 722,434 (+4,315)
Statewide Fatalities: 38,735 (+75)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 4.0 percent (+0.1 percent)
- NYC reports: 6.3 percent (+0.2 percent)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 3,125,025 (+91,103)
- NYC first doses administered: 1,122,158 (+24,078)

General Updates:

New York State expects to receive a total of 164,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the first tranche of shipments. More than 15 percent of New Yorkers have now received at least one dose of an approved vaccine. (NYS)
Gov. Cuomo today made his first public appearance since news of sexual harassment allegations against him broke. During his COVID-19 briefing, he addressed the allegations, expressing embarrassment for his actions, but he rebuffed lawmaker calls for his resignation, saying he had no intention of stepping down. (New York Times)
New state guidance says vaccinated domestic travelers to New York no longer need to quarantine or provide a negative test upon arrival. Additionally, new guidance was issued on social gatherings, including allowing the reopening for arts and entertainment venues next month. (NY1) More on that below.
With concerns over the NYC variant strain still high, the city is significantly ramping up its capacity to monitor the threat of new strains by quadrupling the number of coronavirus samples it can sequence in city laboratories. (New York Times)
In an effort seen as a way for the Senate to move forward on his stimulus package, Pres. Biden agreed to further cap the income levels eligible for a direct payment, disqualifying individuals who earn more than $80,000, down from $100,000, or $160,000 for couples. (New York Times)
And if you’re still totally confounded by the vaccine appointment scheduling process in NYC, this is a good roundup of info and other tips.

The latest results: The New York state legislature today announced a revenue forecast $2.45 billion higher than the governor’s proposed budget, and the pending $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package is expected to plug any holes that remain in state and local funding. However, there’s still a lot of recovery ahead, primarily lowering the unemployment rate and keeping small and medium businesses afloat through reopening. How long do you think it will take for NYC’s economy to fully recover?

Today's poll

: The FDA authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will add to Pfizer and Moderna stocks to significantly increase the incoming supply, and Pres. Biden announced it means there will be enough doses for every American adult

by the end of May

, two months earlier than previously projected. Does that updated timeline change when you expect to be able to get your first dose?

*|SURVEY: I’ll be able to receive a vaccine sooner than I expected|*
*|SURVEY: I’ll be able to receive a vaccine about the same time I expected|*
*|SURVEY: I’ll be able to receive vaccine later than I expected|*
*|SURVEY: I’ve already received my first dose of a vaccine|*

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

New guidance would loosen some restrictions on both indoor and outdoor gatherings across the state:
- Beginning March 22nd, residential gatherings will be permitted at a maximum of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Social gatherings will be permitted at a maximum of 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.
Beginning April 2nd, plays, concerts, and other performances will be permitted to resume at sharply reduced capacity. (New York Times)
- Event, arts, and entertainment venues can reopen at 33 percent capacity, up to a maximum of 100 people indoors or 200 people outdoors.
- If those venues enforce an attendee testing requirement, they may increase maximum capacity to 150 people indoors or 500 people outdoors.
- In all cases, socially distanced seating and masks are required.
Gov. Cuomo announced a pilot program to test the Excelsior Pass, an app developed in partnership with IBM that verifies an individual’s vaccination status or negative COVID-19 test result. The tool is expected to become a way for theaters, stadiums, and other venues to begin welcoming indoor patrons back safely. (NYS)
Mayor de Blasio’s budget director is optimistic the city’s financial outlook will improve sooner than expected, citing vaccination rates as an indicator of employees returning to offices and tourism rebounding. The city’s Independent Budget Office, however, has a less rosy outlook, stating that even with employment growth over the next four years, the city will still have fewer jobs in 2025 than it did in 2019. (New York Daily News)