Tech:NYC Digest: May 10

Tech:NYC Digest: May 10

May 10, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

Monday, May 10, 2021As the vaccination rollout progresses and NYC moves forward with reopening plans, 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: CDC, Fauci say mask guidelines could loosen more if vaccine rates pick up; J&J shots now available in subway and rail stations for commuters, and major cultural sites citywide for tourists; all SUNY and CUNY students required to show proof of vaccination next fall; smaller tech hubs emerging due to remote work trends.By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 2,057,903 (+1,580)

  • New York City: 923,749 (+558)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 42,307 (+27)

  • NYC Positivity Rates: 

    • NYS reports: 1.2 percent (-0.1 percent)

    • NYC reports: 2.0 percent (-0.1 percent)

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 9,661,944 (+33,150)

    • NYC first doses administered: 3,797,384

General Updates:

  • Demand for the vaccine has slowed to the point that some states have started turning down COVID-19 dose shipments from the federal government. (New York Times)

    • Part of the drop off stems from vaccination hesitancy, which was already an obstacle before the FDA paused the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for ten days over blood clot scares. (Wall Street Journal)

    • In New York, officials are still asking for the full allocation. Instead of succumbing to slowing rates, they hope a more creative outreach strategy (aka: free beer) will keep vaccinations moving at a steady pace.

    • NYC is also working on ways to make the vaccine more accessible. More below.

  • If efforts like those are successful, the federal government could further relax mask wearing requirements. (Wall Street Journal) The CDC issued new guidelines last month, particularly for outdoor activities, and Dr. Fauci said it’s possible people may decide masks are only necessary on a seasonal basis over the next few years. (Washington Post)

    • Even staunch mask wearers are reconsidering whether or not they should wear one all the time, based on CDC advice and the behaviors of others. While some are heeding that guidance, others are still embracing caution and keeping masks on for the time being. (Washington Post)

  • And here’s a story we’re watching: a ransomware attack shut down the largest petroleum pipeline that runs up the East Coast between Texas and New York, and there’s no word on when it will reopen. The shutdown hasn't had an impact on fuel supply yet, but gas prices rose as much as 4.2 percent this morning. (New York Times) A prolonged shutdown could also leave smaller airports in dire need of fuel should it last too long. (New York Times)

The latest results: Team Tech:NYC today did something we haven’t done in a long, long time…. We went out for lunch! Have you seen your work colleagues in person this year?       

Today's poll

: In March, roughly 17 percent of Manhattan’s

or about to be. As vaccines have since become widely available,

have set clear timelines for when they’re returning this summer. However, many workers want to

or have flexibility, while Google just announced a

 

that will allow up to 20 percent of its workforce to stay remote. When your office reopens, how do you expect to structure your work week?

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

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll spend most weekdays in the office|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll spend most weekdays WFH|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll split my time between the office and home equally|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll be in the office full-time|*

  • *|SURVEY: I’ll be WFH full-time|*

  • *|SURVEY: I'm not sure|*

  • With vaccination rates in NYC lagging, state officials are getting creative with extra outreach. Starting this week, that means offering the shot during your commute. (New York Times)

    • This Wednesday through Sunday, the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be offered to straphangers at eight subway, LIRR, and Metro-North hubs. It’s a pretty simple process: you get the shot on your way into the station, and the MTA gives you a free ride.

    • Even better: everyone who gets the shot at one of these sites will get a free seven-day MetroCard, or two free one-way trips anywhere in the LIRR or Metro-North service areas.

    • Find the participating transit sites here. It’s a pilot program MTA officials are conducting this week in hopes of extending it through the summer.

  • And that’s just the latest incentive city and state officials are offering to keep the vaccination rate moving. Getting the shot can get you: free tickets and deals to the New York City Aquarium, the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Yankees and Mets games, membership to the Public Theater, Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Cyclones, and more. (Time Out New York)

  • New York is also relaxing residency requirements to get the vaccine, making any US resident eligible to receive it in the state. (Gothamist) Mobile vaccination sites are now reaching tourists with the J&J shot in Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Central Park, and more locations around the city. (ABC New York)

  • Gov. Cuomo also announced today that all in-person students attending SUNY and CUNY schools in the fall will be required to show proof of vaccination before being allowed back on campus. He’s encouraging private colleges to follow suit. (CBS Albany)

    • The decision comes in response to data that show just 24.7 percent of college-aged New Yorkers (those in the 16-25 years old group) are fully vaccinated, the lowest rate of all age groups so far.

  • And to-go alcohol sales in New York have been extended statewide to June 5th. (ABC Albany) It’s not the indefinite, permanent permission many bars and eateries were hoping for, but it’s a start.

Related reading:

  • At some NYC parties and nightclubs, a ‘vaccine passport’ is the new velvet rope (New York Times)

  • Better, quicker tests — plus vaccines — means the end of quarantine could be good for both public health and the economy (Axios)

  • What Will We Do With Our Masks Now? (New York Times)

  • Why Did It Take So Long to Accept the Facts About Covid? (New York Times)

Working:

  • More flexible office arrangements and skilled workers who made pandemic moves over the past year mean that tech jobs are also spreading across the country. (Axios)

    • Newer hubs in Miami, Houston, and Philadelphia are joining more mature ones like NYC, San Francisco, and Seattle in attracting talent.

    • Our own Julie Samuels weighed in: “Tech is no longer a monolithic industry — now every company is a tech company. The industry's gravity that required people to be in Silicon Valley has loosened."

    • But the competitive advantages of big urban locales like NYC will still matter — as we at Tech:NYC like to say, the companies go where the talent wants to be, and the talent wants to be in New York.

  • Splunk will join several other San Francisco-based tech companies to allow most of its employees the flexibility to WFH permanently. The company will get rid of its current HQ, and plans to use new remote work options as a recruitment tool. (San Francisco Business Times)

    • Our take: any West Coasters want to try out NYC?

Related reading:

  • Homebrew partner Hunter Walk: Employee surveys won’t tell you whether to return to an office or not (Hunter Walk)

  • Should You Go Back to the Office? With mental health, physical fitness, and professional prospects to consider, it can be a complicated choice. (Wall Street Journal)

  • The Ideal Number of Days to Work From Home (The Atlantic)

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:

  • May 13: Virtual: Can NFTs Fund the Future for Artists?, with multidisciplinary artists Israel Wilson and Aaron Lazansky-Olivas aka SpazeCraft. Hosted by NYC Media Lab. (Details)

  • May 14: Virtual: The Future of Hybrid Work, with Leading at a Distance co-authors and leadership experts Jim Citrin and Darleen DeRosa. Hosted by Axios. (Details)

  • May 18: Virtual: Digital New York Summit, with Tech:NYC founder and executive director Julie Samuels, Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Internet and Technology Committee Chair Assembly Member Clyde Vanel, and more. Hosted by City & State. (Details)

  • May 19: Virtual: Women Who Invest Forum, with Operator Collective partner Leyla Seka, Chingona Ventures founding partner Samara Mejia Hernandez, 1863 Ventures managing partner Melissa L. Bradley, and more. Hosted by Silicon Valley Forum and Betaworks Studios. (Details)

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

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