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Tech:NYC Digest: May 19

Tech:NYC Digest: May 19

May 19, 2021 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Wednesday, May 19, 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: After more than a year, most COVID restrictions are completely lifted in New York; 35 percent of NYC families concerned about fall school return with no staff vaccine mandates; JPMorgan drops its employee mask mandate for fully vaxxed US employees, Google won’t require the shot to return; Squarespace rings in a direct listing at the NYSE!By the Numbers:

New York State: 2,072,874 (+1,431)
New York City: 929,303 (+472)
Statewide Fatalities: 42,524 (+21)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 0.9 percent (no change)
- NYC reports: 1.4 percent (-0.1 percent)
Vaccine Progress:
- NYS first doses administered: 10,079,911 (+50,534)
- NYC first doses administered: 3,972,276 (+17,546)

Reopening Day:

Happy Reopening Day, New York! It’s a big milestone for NYC and the entire state, and there’s lots to celebrate:

Today’s reopening comes as the city’s COVID-19 numbers have fallen to their lowest point in least seven months — positivity and hospitalization rates have now dipped into a range most public health officials consider acceptable for the first time since October. (POLITICO) That data shows that vaccinations are working, and officials hope the loosening of restrictions today will serve as an incentive for more people to get the shot.

As a quick refresher, two major changes are effective beginning today, and here’s what they actually mean:

Capacity: Businesses, houses of worship, and other public settings can reopen to full capacity.
- However, rules requiring six feet of social distancing will remain for establishments that opt not to check whether individuals are vaccinated or not.
Masks: Fully vaccinated individuals visiting those places don’t need to wear a mask, both outdoors and indoors.
- However, mask-wearing is still mandatory on public transit, on planes and in airports, in public schools, in healthcare settings, and in congregate settings like nursing homes.

The key qualifier here is that you’re fully vaccinated — those still unvaccinated or with just one dose so far still must wear masks based on the preceding guidance. But how that mix plays out if a city as complex as NYC could get messy:

Dr. Fauci is worried that too many people are misinterpreting the CDC mask guidance to assume everyone can now pack the mask away. (Axios) New York business owners are worried too, leading many of them to keep mandatory mask-wearing and other safety protocols in place for a bit longer. (Crain’s New York)
While some major retailers, like Starbucks, Target, and Whole Foods, will move to what’s effectively an honor system — wear a mask if you’re not fully vaccinated, don’t worry about it if you are — other retailers like CVS are more cautious about that mix and will continue to mandate them.
Local NYC restaurants and eateries have signaled they don’t want to be left with the burden of verifying the vaccination status of every patron and enforcing mask-wearing policies based on each individual, and to err on the side of safety, will stick to mask mandates too. (Eater NY)
Even Mayor de Blasio and the city’s Health Commissioner said they intend to continue wearing masks indoors or in settings where there could be a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people. (New York Post)

One big 🗽 shoutout: today, Squarespace became the first NYC tech company to list on the NYSE via direct listing! The company is one of NYC’s great homegrown tech companies, and its milestone is just as much one for New York tech as a whole. Congrats to founder and CEO Anthony Casalena and the entire team!

The latest results: The state’s decision to drop most COVID restrictions has been met with mixed reception. Among the readers of this newsletter, there’s clearly 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?

Today's poll

: The biggest change in today’s reopening, since capacity restrictions were

already pretty light

as of a few weeks ago, is that masks are no longer required in most indoor settings for fully vaccinated individuals. But to avoid the process of verifying who is vaccinated or not, many establishments will continue requiring masks, and many individuals intend to

keep wearing them

even if they technically don't have to. Have you seen anyone inside that didn’t have a mask on today?

*|SURVEY: Yes, I went to an indoor setting without a mask|*
*|SURVEY: Yes, I have noticed people indoors without a mask|*
*|SURVEY: No, everyone in indoor settings I visited had a mask on|*
*|SURVEY: I haven’t been in a public setting today|*

In order to ensure the latest health protocols are being followed, summer day camps, overnight camps, and childcare programs in New York will be required to collect COVID-19 vaccination status and documentation for all staff and children. (Gothamist)
- Since the Pfizer vaccine is currently only available to those ages 12 and up, kids ages 2-11 (as well as unvaccinated adults) will be required to continue wearing masks in these settings.
The state’s Excelsior Pass was designed to make it easier for people to attend indoor and outdoor events by providing proof you’ve been fully vaccinated or recently tested negative for the coronavirus. But one detail to remember: access to the pass is available beginning 15 days after the final dose, the point at which you’re considered fully inoculated. If you try to download your pass before, the database won’t recognize you as eligible yet. (Newsday)
The patchwork of safety protocols depending on your vaccination status can be confusing, even in the state Capitol. While the state Assembly chamber has eliminated capacity limits, the state Senate will keep some in place. (POLITICO) Masks are still required in both chambers.
A new study found that 35 percent of New York City families are worried about sending their children back to the classrooms this fall. Families surveyed reported they would feel more comfortable sending their children back to schools if students and staff were vaccinated, required to wear masks, and maintained social distance, along with schools keeping smaller class sizes. (amNY)