Tech:NYC Digest: May 14

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Friday, May 14, 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: NY, NJ hesitant to lift mask mandates after latest CDC guidance; NY DOH investigating “breakthrough” infections of Yankees players and staff; Lincoln Center plans outdoor summer performance series dubbed Restart Stages; Snowflake preps its HQ for staff return.By the Numbers:

• New York State: 2,065,533 (+2,068)

• New York City: 926,650 (+802) 

• Statewide Fatalities: 42,417 (+25)

• NYC Positivity Rates: 

  • NYS reports: 1.0 percent (-0.1 percent)

  • NYC reports: 1.8 percent (no change)

• Vaccine Progress:

  • NYS first doses administered: 9,829,012 (+57,967)

  • NYC first doses administered: 3,868,448 (+19,720)

General Updates:

• States have had mixed responses to yesterday’s guidance from the CDC that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks in most situations. Some responded quickly, immediately lifting the mask mandates, while others have taken a more cautious approach. (New York Times)

  • Gov. Cuomo signaled New York’s mask mandate will remain in effect while a panel of state health officials review the guidance and decide to separately endorse the same recommendations. (NY State of Politics) New Jersey is also taking a cautious approach, keeping mask mandates while indoors for now. (NJ Advance) Massachusetts has not made any change yet, but will update guidance soon. (NBC Boston) 

  • Other neighboring states are less cautious: Connecticut will match the CDC guidance to get rid of masks indoors and outdoors beginning May 19th. (NBC Connecticut) Pennsylvania has already lifted all masking requirements for fully vaccinated residents. (Philadelphia Inquirer) 

• The CDC’s announcement came as a surprise to many public health officials, and a large majority of epidemiologists expected mask-wearing in public to last for at least a year, or at least until the country reaches a vaccination rate closer to the “herd immunity” levels needed to stop transmission of the virus. (New York Times)

  • However, just because people can ditch their masks if fully vaccinated doesn’t mean they will. Some keep wearing a mask for their own comfort, while others do it to make those around them feel more comfortable. (New York Times)

• Officials hope the new federal guidance on mask wearing will lead to an increase in COVID-19 vaccinations, by encouraging those on the fence to go get their shots so they can ditch the mask. (Reuters)

The latest results: The mayoral primary is less than six weeks away, even earlier considering the early voting period. New York primaries have notoriously low turnout, and the ranked choice voting system now being used will be unfamiliar to many. Have you figured how you’ll fill your ranked choice ballot?       

Today's poll

: New York has yet to update its mask rules based on the latest CDC guidance. However, fully vaccinated people in the state already don’t need masks outside and many pandemic restrictions on businesses and gatherings are set to lift next week. If New York follows suit with the latest CDC guidance, how will it affect your behavior?

• *|SURVEY: I feel comfortable not wearing a mask indoors and outdoors|*

• *|SURVEY: I feel comfortable not wearing a mask outdoors, but will keep it on indoors|*

• *|SURVEY: I will keep wearing a mask indoors and outdoors|*

• *|SURVEY: I am not fully vaccinated and following relevant mask protocols|*

• The “breakthrough cases” reported by the New York Yankees are on the rise since the first reports earlier this week — eight players and staff members, all of whom are fully vaccinated, have tested positive COVID-19 this week. Those individuals are now under quarantine, and the state Dept. of Health is investigating their cases alongside those of other New Yorkers who have tested positive post-vaccination. (Bloomberg)

• Some NYC workers are getting apartments close to their offices, in anticipation of a return to office plan. (Bloomberg) Landlords have been doling out incentives, including free months of rent, to get units leased, and in April, Manhattan leases jumped sixfold from a year earlier to just over 9,000, the most for any single month since at least 2009.

• Just in time for the summer seasons, Lincoln Center is launching Restart Stages, an outdoor performing arts center of ten stages across its 16-acre campus to be used for performances, rehearsals, and even high school graduations, blood drives, and other community programs. (NPR) Also, the Lincoln Center Plaza is now reopened as a whimsical, verdant playground — it’s a must-visit. (Gothamist)

• Lastly, if you’re like us, you jumped at the opportunity to reserve Broadway show tickets for the first time in over a year. Here’s a very helpful list of the 23 productions so far that plan to raise the curtain later this year — and some of them for the first time.

Related reading:

• After the pandemic, will more Americans wear masks for colds and flu? (New York Times)

• Vaccination rates may determine whether the coronavirus becomes a seasonal nuisance (New York Magazine)

• Is it now reasonable to discuss the end of the pandemic? Yes, but with caveats. (Washington Post)

• 17 NYC Restaurants with the Best Secret Gardens for Outdoor Dining (Thrillist)

Working:

• The new mask guidance could put businesses in a tricky spot. Even with the new CDC recommendation, companies need to abide by local guidelines. Companies with frontline and/or retail workers are perhaps most impacted, but it’s a new challenge for HR departments in any case. (New York Times)

  • Companies have been developing safety protocols for a return to office, and haven’t been prepared for a sharp turnabout. Douglas Brayley, an employment lawyer at Ropes & Gray, flagged some ways the change in federal guidance raises new questions: How do large companies establish a common policy when local public health agencies may not agree? How should they handle employees who are still uncertain about safety when protocols shift? How will companies find out whether employees are vaccinated, and thus determine if they need to wear a mask? (New York Times)

• Snowflake, an analytics software company, has used the time of remote work to make a myriad of updates to its HQ in preparation for the return of its employees. (CNBC) Warrick Taylor, Snowflake’s Vice President of global workplace and real estate, said the office updates were meant to ensure that “employees can spend most of their time working with other people instead of toiling away alone.” Among the ideas:

  • Instead of cafeteria-style lunch benefits, employees will use an app to preorder packaged meals and pick them up at a specific time;

  • While some desks will be assigned, others will be booked as hot desks, but all are outfitted with dividers;

  • At the end of the day, employees will be required to either take home all of their belongings from the surface of their desks or store them in on-site lockers so cleaning crews can come in and sanitize the space. 

• Delta Air Lines will require new hires to be vaccinated. While current employees are exempt from the mandate, the airline’s CEO still expects 75 to 80 percent of workers to be vaccinated anyway. Unvaccinated employees could face some restrictions, such as not being able to work on international flights. (New York Times)

• Three-quarters of people between the ages of 18-29 say vaccination should be required to return to campus or work, according to a new poll. 37 percent of respondents said they would refuse to come back unless those conditions are in place. (Axios)

Related reading:

• The gender divide in remote work: 68 percent of women said their preferred post-pandemic workplace would be remote, compared to 57 percent of men. (Axios)

• Working From Home for Some Threatens Mass Transit for All (Bloomberg)

• What Managers Are Telling Workers About Returning to the Office (Bloomberg)

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 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:

• New York State Department of Health

• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• Centers for Disease Control

• World Health Organization

• Sign up for Gov. Cuomo’s nightly updates

• Download COVID Alert NY, New York's contact tracing app

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