Tech:NYC Digest: May 12

Tech:NYC Digest: May 12

May 12, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Wednesday, May 12, 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 panel approves Pfizer vaccine for 12-15 year olds; city announces plan for more bus and bike lanes by the end of the year; JPMorgan has dozens of employees traveling for client meetings, in the latest return to pre-pandemic business; Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate! By the Numbers:

  • New York State: 2,061,249 (+1,830)

  • New York City: 924,993 (+687) 

  • Statewide Fatalities: 42,367 (+26)

  • NYC Positivity Rates: 

    • NYS reports: 1.1 percent (-0.1 percent)

    • NYC reports: 1.9 percent (-0.1 percent)

  • Vaccine Progress:

    • NYS first doses administered: 9,733,468 (+35,131)

    • NYC first doses administered: 3,834,612 (+19,762)

General Updates:

  • A big 👏: as of today, 50 percent of all New York adults are now fully vaccinated. (PIX 11) Let’s keep it going!

  • A CDC panel today endorsed the Pfizer vaccine for kids aged 12 to 15 years old. (CNBC) The FDA signed off on the expanded eligibility Monday, saying the vaccine was safe in adolescents and protected them from getting the virus. (Wall Street Journal)

    • What’s next: Gov. Cuomo and various city, county, and school district officials are eager to start distribution to kids immediately, but they’ll need to figure out some legal hurdles — parental consent will likely be required — and get creative about outreach. Making doses available at schools, private doctors’ offices, summer camps, parks, and even beaches are all ideas being floated. (New York Times)

  • The CDC was accused of being slow and overly cautious with easing guidance, especially on wearing masks outdoors. The CDC defended the pace, saying guidance will relax when more people are vaccinated. (New York Times)

  • This season, the flu virtually disappeared. There were fewer than 2,000 lab-confirmed cases across the country, and health experts attribute that to COVID-related social distancing and mask wearing rules. However, the jury is out on if that means we’re now all less immune to the flu — and if there’ll be a spike next year. (NBC News)

  • Lastly, let’s pour one out for TurboVax, which announced it will shut down. Created by Huge Ma, the bot and site has been a hugely important resource to connect New Yorkers to vaccine appointments. We’re just glad Huge is keeping the Twitter handle active.

Eid Mubarak: The holy month of Ramadan comes to an end at sunset. It’s the second year Muslim New Yorkers have had to navigate the holiday amid the pandemic, but we’re uplifted by all the traditions and celebrations that carried on despite the challenges. A special shoutout to Islamic Relief USA which launched “Iftar on the Go,” providing free halal meals over the last month to New Yorkers in need. Eid Mubarak and a happy Eid al-Fitr to those who celebrate!

The latest results: Tech:NYC and Accenture released new research on how New York-based companies are growing their workforce, and tech jobs will be key to the city’s economic recovery. How confident are you that NYC will be able to return to pre-pandemic economic levels?       

Today's poll

: A majority of adults statewide — nearly eight million people — are now fully vaccinated. In the city, however, vaccine coverage is not as good. Still, many feel we have turned a corner in the vaccine rollout as appointments are readily available, eligibility is universal, and tools like TurboVax are no longer needed. Do you know any eligible New Yorker who has not been vaccinated?

  • *|SURVEY: Yes, and they don’t plan on getting the vaccine|*

  • *|SURVEY: Yes, but they plan to get the vaccine soon|*

  • *|SURVEY: Yes, they're undecided about getting the vaccine|*

  • *|SURVEY: No, everyone I know is vaccinated|*

  • Mayor de Blasio said today that while the city will ramp up efforts to vaccinate children, it doesn’t plan to require K-12 students to get the shot before returning to classrooms in the upcoming school year. (New York Post) For the state colleges, the mandatory vaccination plan for students returning to campus won’t extend to employees and staff. (Buffalo News)

  • Beaches and pools in New York will be permitted to reopen on Memorial Day weekend, just in time to mark the official start of summer. They will start with limited capacity and a six-foot social distancing rule in place, with the goal of expanding to 100 percent capacity by the Fourth of July. (NY State of Politics)

  • The Yankees reported that two coaches and one support staff member — all of whom had been previously vaccinated — tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes after the team relaxed COVID-19 restrictions upon reaching the 85 percent threshold for vaccinations. No players have been infected. (CBS Sports)

  • The city plans to install 28 miles of new and improved busways and bus lanes, as well as 30 miles of protected bike lanes by the end of the year. The announcement is a part of “Streets Week!,” an array of transportation, traffic safety, and open space commitments. (NBC New York)

    • An “Open Boulevards” program was also unveiled today, which would build on the Open Streets program to expand ten multi-block corridors for more outdoor dining, cultural programming, and art installations. Here are the details on the locations that plan to open in the coming weeks.

  • Broadway is back: the producers of “Hamilton,” “The Lion King,” and “Wicked” announced they will resume performances on Sept. 14. (Variety) Other shows are also getting back to work, returning to theaters that have been dark for more than a year, and New Yorkers were there to cheer them on.

Related reading:

  • The Strange New Life of Vaccine Sites: how a crisis can help up rethink space and reimagine the future (New York Times)

  • The differences between elimination, eradication, and herd immunity — and what it means for Covid-19 (CNN)

  • Air travel is back, including all the things you hated (Wall Street Journal)

  • Where COVID’s Car-Free “Open Streets” Boosted Business (Bloomberg)

Working:

  • Workers — even those fully vaccinated — are struggling with a new source of anxiety as they’re being called back to the office. They’re stressed about rearranging their routines yet again, readjusting to social norms, and dealing with over a year of isolation. (Axios)

  • Banks and financial firms have been the most committed to a swift return to pre-pandemic business routines, and that includes business travel. (Bloomberg) JPMorgan already has 30 to 40 investment bankers traveling daily for client meetings, meanwhile the firm is preparing to bring its UK-based staff back to the office beginning next month. (Bloomberg)

  • Are Zoom-free Fridays the next big thing? Banking giants HSBC and Citigroup, and other companies too, have pioneered screen-free or meeting-free Fridays as another strategy for minimizing pandemic stress and WFH burnout. (BBC)

Related reading:

  • How Zoom's chief people officer handled unprecedented growth during the pandemic (Insider)

  • Business travel in the flexible work era: blurred lines demand more strategic planning (Forbes)

  • Is the entry-level job going extinct? (Quartz)

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 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)

  • May 21: Virtual: Forging NYC’s Path Towards Accessible Childcare, with NYCEDC president and CEO Rachel Loeb, Maven founder and CEO Kate Ryder, and an expert panel moderated by New York Times reporter Alisha Haridasani Gupta. Hosted by women.nyc and Maven. (Details)

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

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