Tech:NYC Newsletter
Posts
Tech:NYC Digest: November 17

Tech:NYC Digest: November 17

November 17, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Tuesday, November 17, 2020As NYC’s reopening and recovery efforts continue, the 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: CA reinstates restrictions after cases doubled in ten days; Fauci echoes Biden’s call for national COVID coordination; NYC schools stay open another day, but new data gives little hope it'll last; Zoom’s new security feature helps avoid Zoombombing.

Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 568,778 (+5,088)
New York City: 285,275 (+1,934)
Statewide Fatalities: 26,189 (+29)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 2.5 percent (+0.1 percent)
- NYC reports: 2.74 percent (-0.03 percent)

General Updates:

NYC’s positivity rate remains lower than the state’s overall rate, but the number of new positive cases statewide exceeded 5,000 today, and statewide hospitalizations have surpassed the 2,000 mark. (NY State of Politics)
- By comparison: California’s daily case count has doubled in the last ten days, and the state is “hitting the emergency brake” on economic activity, forcing much of the state to revert to limiting capacity in retail stores, closing gyms and fitness centers, and dining only outdoors. (CBS News) And North Dakota hit an incredibly grim milestone: one of every 1,000 residents dead due to coronavirus. The governor issued a mask mandate on Friday. (Twitter)
Today, Dr. Fauci made a new call for a “uniform approach” in the country’s handling of the pandemic, rather than a “disjointed” state-by-state response. (New York Times) President-elect Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board has called for similar nationwide coordination, but has rejected the idea of a national lockdown, preferring more local, targeted measures instead. (CBS News)
One election update, now that it’s been two weeks since Election Day: despite concerns that the pandemic would impact turnout, more than 2.97 million New York City voters casted votes for the general election, an increase of about 7.5 percent — or 210,000 votes — from the 2016 general election. (Gotham Gazette)
And finally, for a little perspective: The very first confirmed case of coronavirus can be traced back to China on Nov. 17, 2020. So, happy first birthday, COVID-19? (Newsweek)

One request: Tech:NYC is teaming up with Columbia University researchers and other community partners to gather more information about the needs and challenges of small businesses amid COVID-19. If you’re a startup founder or other small business owner in NYC, please complete this survey by Nov. 25.

Yesterday's results: More schools, workplaces, and other organizations are turning to wearable tech to support their pandemic safety protocols. Would you be more likely to return to the office if your employer provided a wearable safety tracker?

Today's poll

: Over the last eight months, government officials and business leaders alike have been paying close attention to the pandemic’s impact on New York’s economic outlook, with the latest data indicating the

tourism industry may not fully recover until 2025

. Much hinges on getting back to pre-pandemic levels — a federal relief package, a widely available vaccine, ongoing safety compliance, and more. How long do you think it will take for NYC’s finances to recover?

*|SURVEY: Within six months|*
*|SURVEY: Six months to a year|*
*|SURVEY: One year to two years|*
*|SURVEY: Two years to five years|*
*|SURVEY: Five years or more|*

Find the poll results from all previous editions of this newsletter here.

Reopening:

With the city’s seven-day rolling average at 2.74 percent today, New York City schools are staying open tomorrow. (Wall Street Journal) But the latest data also shows the city reporting a 3.2 percent single-day positivity rate, which is pushing the seven-day average closer to the three percent threshold that could trigger a shutdown.
Year-over-year rents in Manhattan last month were down across the board, with the biggest changes in studio and one bedroom apartment listings. (Curbed) Landlords gave concessions — rent decrease, free month, etc. — on a whopping 60.4 percent of new Manhattan leases.
A new report by the city’s OMB shows that NYC’s tax revenues came in higher than expected from July to September — the first quarter of the city’s fiscal year — providing $840 million more than estimates indicated before. (POLITICO) But when it comes to tourism, the forecast isn’t as rosy: new projections anticipate a rebound in the number of tourists visiting NYC by mid-2021 at the earliest, and that it will take at least four years to return fully to pre-pandemic tourism levels. (New York Times) It’s a somber timeline for the tourism industry, which typically drives $46 billion in spending for the city’s economy.
The Dept. of Transportation is requiring eateries to add additional seasonal safety features, including adding weighted barriers and reflector tape to make roadway barriers more visible. (New York Post) Restaurants will also be required to close outdoor dining setups when the weather forecast calls for 12 or more inches of snow.
More research is weighing in on an interesting question: should people be paid to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Some philosophers and economists say it’s a cost-effective way to save lives, others say it’s subtly coercive. (Bloomberg)
And we’re coming up on one week before Thanksgiving Day. If you haven’t already, it’s time to tell your family you aren’t coming home for the holiday. (The Cut) Plus, you’ll want to stay here anyways to see the 30 Rock Christmas Tree, which was hoisted up today.