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Tech:NYC Digest: March 5

Tech:NYC Digest: March 5

March 05, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Friday, March 5, 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 is vaccinating two million a day; State Senate votes to remove Cuomo’s emergency powers; vaccine passports are on their way; NYC schools plan for a full reopening in September; up to 25 percent of the US workforce will permanently remain remote.

By the Numbers:

New York State: 1,666,733 (+8,956)
New York City: 731,315 (+4,856)
Statewide Fatalities: 38,891 (+94)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 3.9 percent (-0.1 percent)
- NYC reports: 5.8 percent (-0.6 percent)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 3,371,537 (+139,696)
- NYC first doses administered: 1,175,060 (+31,524)

General Updates:

Some good news: the US is administering vaccines quickly enough — an average of two million per day — that we’ll likely surpass Pres. Biden’s goal of 100 million doses a month ahead of schedule. (HuffPost)
- In New York, that pace seems only primed to accelerate: three new mass vaccination sites open today, three more become 24/7 sites, 12 new community “pop-up sites” open this week, and another four mass sites jointly run with FEMA are up and running.
The state Senate voted this afternoon to rescind the emergency powers granted to Gov. Cuomo throughout the pandemic. (CNN) The state Assembly is also in session and expected to pass the same bill later this evening.
- The legislation will prevent the governor from unilaterally making any new directives, as well as requiring those currently in effect be evaluated and renewed every 30 days.
- The move comes as the governor is facing fresh criticism for altering reports to withhold accurate data on the number of nursing home-related deaths due to COVID-19. (New York Times)
Last month saw a gain of 379,000 jobs — more than expected — as states have lifted more restrictions and administered more vaccinations, but the US economy is still missing about 9.5 million jobs from pre-pandemic levels a year ago. (NBC News) As the vaccination rate continues to climb, economists are betting on a “Roaring 20s”-like recovery to come. (Axios)
Lastly, NYC is hiring 2,000 New Yorkers to work on vaccination efforts as a part of the Vaccine for All Corps — no healthcare experience required for most roles. Want to join? Apply here.

The latest results: A new real estate report found that homebuying in Manhattan and Brooklyn is up significantly year-over-year. In February, co-op and condo purchases in Manhattan were up 87.2 percent and 55.1 percent respectively, and in Brooklyn it was 131.5 percent and 141.3 percent. Similar numbers are also being recorded in the surrounding metro. Have you or someone you know purchased real estate in the tri-state area in the past year?

Today's poll

: Despite warnings from the CDC and public health officials, states like Texas and Mississippi this week rescinded their mask mandates and will allow business to reopen at full capacity, claiming those mandates are

no longer needed

in the wake of ongoing vaccinations. Pres. Biden called it

“Neanderthal thinking,”

and Dr. Fauci said it was an

“inexplicable”

move as case numbers have plateaued at still-high levels. Would you visit Texas or other states that have similarly relaxed COVID-related restrictions?

*|SURVEY: Yes|*
*|SURVEY: Maybe/it depends|*
*|SURVEY: Absolutely not|*

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

CLEAR, the secure digital identity app (and a Tech:NYC member!) is teaming up with CommonPass, a health app that lets users securely access vaccination records and COVID-19 test results. Any American will be able to use CommonPass to access those records, and use the CLEAR app to display them to airlines, entertainment venues, or other businesses that require that documentation from patrons. (Axios)
Commutes are slowly returning as states begin more fully reopening their economies, with the average number of visits to workplaces hitting its highest level since March of last year. (Bloomberg)
Gov. Phil Murphy said that, as long as vaccination rollout continues to plan and variants don’t lead to another spike in cases, he expects a “much more normal summer” at New Jersey Shore beaches. He expressed confidence that any adult who wants the vaccine will be able to get one by Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer tourist season. (Bloomberg)
Mayor de Blasio hinted today that NYC public schools will get rid of hybrid models for the next academic school year and will require students to choose either fully in-person or fully remote learning. (Chalkbeat) The mayor said he will have an announcement next week detailing if high schools can expect to reopen before then, but a full reopening of all levels is being planned for Sept. (Crain’s NY)
Pfizer and Moderna both have completed enrollment for efficacy studies of children ages 12 and older, and they expect to release the data over the summer. (AP)