Tech:NYC Digest: November 2

Tech:NYC Digest: November 2

November 02, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Monday, November 2, 2020We have less than 24 hours to go, and we’re all distracted, so today’s digest includes just a handful of useful updates heading into Election Day.Tech:NYC will be closed tomorrow so our team can use the day to vote, volunteer, or otherwise engage in Election Day activities. We’ll see you on Wednesday — try not to doomscroll too much until then.Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

The latest: US marks nearly 100,000 new daily coronavirus cases; travelers to NY can reduce quarantine length if they show negative tests before and after arrival; tech companies say new visa restrictions diminish talent pool and innovation potential; tomorrow is Election Day, so if you haven’t already: VOTE.

Confirmed Cases:

  • New York State: 511,368 (+1,633)

  • New York City: 264,796 (+641)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 25,838 (+14)

  • Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.5 percent (no change)

General Updates:

  • The US continues hitting records of new single-day coronavirus cases, with more than 99,000 new cases reported on Friday, the highest daily number anywhere in the world. (CNN) Dr. Fauci has warned he expects there to be more than 100,000 new cases each day in the coming weeks and that death rates will begin to rise again. (Washington Post)

    • With these trends still rising, 43 states and territories have remained on New York’s travel advisory, and as a result, New York has changed its quarantine policy for travelers coming into the state. More on that below.

  • With nine days of early voting in the books, a total of 1.1 million NYC residents cast early ballots for the election. (New York Times)

  • And here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to vote tomorrow:

    • Polls are open 6am – 9pm. Confirm your polling site here.

    • It’s also the last date to postmark an absentee ballot (it must be received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 10). You can also drop it off at any polling site or borough’s BOE office.

    • Any other questions or concerns? Check the BOE’s FAQs here.

  • Retailers in NYC and other cities are boarding up windows and hiring more security guards in anticipation of election-related unrest. (NY1) Mayor de Blasio said that, while there’s no specific threat to NYC on Election Day, “we’re prepared for anything.” (NBC New York)

  • Here’s a good map and roundup for when to expect election results in every state. 

    • We should have near-complete results after polls close in some battleground states like Florida, and others like Texas and Wisconsin by Wednesday morning. Michigan and Pennsylvania could take the entire week to count. 

    • In New York, we’ll know in-person early and Election Day votes on election night, but the state won’t even begin counting absentee ballots until Nov. 6. (Remember how long it took to get final results in the June primary?) The deadline for certifying results is Nov. 28, but with unprecedented mail-in volume, the NYC Board of Elections has said it may not be done counting until the week of Dec. 8.

One good read: The year of the vote: how Americans surmounted a pandemic and dizzying rule changes so their voices would be heard (Washington Post)

The latest results: Whether via mail or in-person, have you already voted?

No poll question today, but to the 15 percent of you who haven’t voted yet: if you’re able and eligible, make a plan to get it done tomorrow. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. 

Reopening:

  • Ahead of the holiday travel season, Gov. Cuomo announced some changes to New York’s advisory for travelers arriving from states with high positivity rates. (NBC New York) The new rules will allow travelers to “test out” of the 14-day quarantine requirement:

    • Travelers must test negative within three days before arriving in New York;

    • Quarantine for at least three days upon arrival; and

    • Get a test on day four of arrival. If it’s negative, they may exit quarantine.

  • Travelers from contiguous states and essential workers are exempted from the protocol.

  • Travelers who were out of state for less than 24 hours aren’t required to quarantine, but still must get a test by day four of arrival back in New York.

  • All travelers from states on the advisory must still complete the traveler health form upon arrival.

Working:

  • Scores of US startups — as well as large tech employers like Google, Facebook, and Apple — say that changes announced in October to the H-1B visa program is curbing their ability to recruit top-tier talent from abroad. (Wall Street Journal)

    • The Trump administration’s stricter requirements come with higher costs, a change of particular concern to smaller startups that can’t afford them.

    • The new rules include raising the minimum salaries required for H-1B sponsorships. For example: citing Labor Department data, an entry-level computer programmer in San Francisco would need a salary of $111,946 versus $78,125 previously.

    • A second set of changes is set to take effect in December that will narrow the types of degrees that could qualify an applicant and shorten the length of visas for certain contract workers.

  • Nearly a third of all venture-backed startups are founded by immigrants, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, and more than half of startups valued at $1 billion or more have at least one immigrant founder, according to the National Foundation for American Policy.

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:

  • November 5: Virtual: What Does the Presidential Election Mean for NYC?, with ABNY CEO Melva Miller, Citizens Budget Commission president Andrew Rein, and more. Hosted by Crain’s. (Details)

  • November 5: Virtual: How I Raised My Seed During the Pandemic, with Lex App, Orum, and Singuli, with Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. Hosted by Betaworks Studios. (Details)

Staying Safe and Sane Tomorrow

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And we’d be remiss if we didn’t share some “getting through Election Day” resources:

  • Here’s a good survival guide of comfort food, cocktails, and coping tips. (Greatist)

  • Here’s some good suggestions on how to stay sane as you’re watching the news and social media pour in on election night and in the days following. (Axios)

  • If you missed this weekend’s SNL, the opening monologue and the New York Musical segment are both a must watch. (A key skill of any New Yorker is knowing when to make fun of yourself.)

  • Perhaps you’ll want to take up knitting. You won’t be alone — if you Google the words “knitting” and “pandemic” together, you’ll get at least 23 million hits. (New York Times)

  • And here’s 10 simple stress relief exercises to practice throughout the day. (New York Times)

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

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