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Tech:NYC Digest: May 18

Tech:NYC Digest: May 18

May 18, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Tuesday, May 18, 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: 600,000 kids aged 12-15 got their first Pfizer shot since approval last week; New York set to lift most capacity restrictions, lift mask mandate for fully vaxxed tomorrow; NYC hospitality group calls on lawmakers to continue laxed liquor laws post-COVID; Salesforce allows Bay Area employees back to the office, but permits WFH through year’s end.By the Numbers:

New York State: 2,071,443 (+1,030)
New York City: 928,831 (+402)
Statewide Fatalities: 42,503 (+17)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 0.9 percent (no change)
- NYC reports: 1.5 percent (no change)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 10,029,377 (+56,180)
- NYC first doses administered: 3,954,730 (+32,255)

General Updates:

Happy Reopening Eve! It’s a big day for New York tomorrow, when most of the state’s restrictions will be lifted for the first time since lockdown began over a year ago. (Patch NYC)
- Capacity limits will be no more for restaurants, salons, retail shops, houses of worship, and more, though six feet of social distancing must still be observed in these places — unless everyone is vaccinated.
- If an establishment is verifying the vaccination status of all patrons before they come in, social distancing rules can be dropped, as well.
- And while the state has officially adopted the CDC guidance that gets rid of mask requirements for fully vaccinated, Mayor de Blasio and NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi say they plan to continue wearing a mask indoors, or in settings where there might be a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people. (ABC New York)
It’s a big milestone for New York, and comes as New York surpasses a 60 percent vaccination rate for all adults statewide. (NYS) That aligns closely with the national rate, where 60 percent of all American adults have gotten at least one dose of the shot. (CNN) And since the Pfizer vaccine was approved for those ages 12-15 just over a week ago, some 600,000 children have already gotten it too. (CNBC)
The CDC has made changes to its pandemic response playbook following criticism of its recent mask guidance update. The changes include a new reporting chain for the vaccine task force, and a reshuffling of the agency's pandemic modeling and data, analytics, and visualization task forces. (Politico)
The US plans to send a combined 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines overseas to help countries struggling with the virus. With new cases and deaths plummeting as vaccination rates rise in the United States, the epicenter of the crisis has moved to India and other countries. (New York Times)
- Some don’t think that's enough. The total number of doses needed to vaccinate 70 percent of the world’s population is 11 billion, and so far, about 1.7 billion doses have been produced.
And while the Knicks and the Nets playoffs and the New York City Marathon are coming back here at home, there’s growing pressure to again cancel the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo amid Japan’s COVID-19 surge in recent months. (Vox)

The latest results: The MTA has resumed 24-hour subway service, and the agency said it will continue daily cleanings of trains and platforms. Average ridership has continued to rise, with about two million people taking public transit in the city each day, but that’s still a far cry from the five million daily riders before the pandemic. How often are you now taking the subway?

Today's poll

: The state’s decision to drop most COVID restrictions starting tomorrow has been met with

mixed reception

. Among the readers of this newsletter, there’s some hesitancy particularly with the mask guidance, as a recent poll showed more than 70 percent will continue wearing masks indoors. And without herd immunity, the virus will continue to spread. Some experts say, though, that herd immunity is

not worth fixating on

. Do you think New York is ready for reopening day?

*|SURVEY: Yes, it is the right time|*
*|SURVEY: No, it is a little too early|*
*|SURVEY: No, it is much too early|*

Starting tomorrow, most COVID-19 restrictions across the state come to an end. (NBC New York) Most capacity restrictions for businesses will be fully lifted and limits on large gatherings will be eased, including looser guidelines for large outdoor venues.
- For some, the accelerated reopening is raising hopes, but for others, anxiety. (New York Times)
The city’s hospitality association is calling on state lawmakers to allow faster, temporary liquor licenses to promote the industry's economic rebound. Right now, temporary liquor licenses are only granted to restaurants and grocery stores outside of the city while they’re waiting for full approval. Full approval can take several months, but temporary permits are processed in about a month and are valid for 90 days. (Gothamist)
The city’s restaurants are grappling with the CDC’s new mask mandates. Individual private venues, such as restaurants and bars, still have the ability to adopt additional guidelines, but they’re on their own to reinforce mask-wearing policies. Some eateries are split on whether to require masks for service, but those opting to keep them could face push back from customers. (Eater NY)