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Tech:NYC Digest: November 24

Tech:NYC Digest: November 24

November 24, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

Tuesday, November 24, 2020One programming note: the Tech:NYC Digest will be on a break for the remainder of the week in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Stay safe, and we’ll see you on Monday!Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

The latest: Cuomo concerned about big case spike after holidays; NYPD is setting up Thanksgiving traffic checkpoints to enforce quarantine rules; mayor anticipates “orange zone” designation to come soon, making it harder for schools to reopen; listen to the latest episode of Talk:NYC with Executive Producer and former Hearst CCO, Joanna Coles.

Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 607,001 (+4,881)
New York City: 298,275 (+1,728)
Statewide Fatalities: 26,441 (+47)
NYC Positivity Rates:
- NYS reports: 2.5 percent (-0.1 percent)
- NYC reports: unreported as of publication time (more info)

General Updates:

The statewide positivity rate continues to hover just under three percent, but new cases and hospitalizations are still climbing. Gov. Cuomo said today that, at the current rate of increase, New York is poised to see a new major spike. (CBS News) He warned against the increase of social activity and shared a worrisome projection: if the holiday season increases cases by just 20 percent on top of the current rate of increase, the statewide positivity rate could reach more than 12 percent by the end of the year.
NYC’s latest economic reports show a less dire picture than those from earlier this year. (Wall Street Journal) The city added $748 million more in collections from personal income and business taxes than originally forecast, and the budget grew from $88 billion in June to $92 billion. But a $4 billion budget gap still remains, and ongoing decreased revenue levels are projected, so the mayor says more federal aid is still needed to support long term recovery efforts.
- Here are a few more takeaways on New York’s fiscal outlook. (New York Times) Among them: cuts to municipal services, like sanitation and parks, and city worker layoffs are still possible.
The NYPD commissioner and sheriff said police officers in NYC will not be knocking on doors to see if New Yorkers are following the orders limiting gatherings to 10 people or fewer, calling such a measure impractical. (Wall Street Journal) Travelers, however, are forewarned: NYC will set up vehicle checkpoints at key bridge and tunnel crossings, as well as Penn Station and Port Authority, during the Thanksgiving holiday period, and will be strictly enforcing the traveler quarantine policy. (Bloomberg)
And lastly, if you’re a procrastinator and haven’t made your Thanksgiving dinner plans, here’s some last-minute tips from chefs. (Bloomberg) Our favorite one: dinner insurance. Manhattan residents who purchase any Campbell Soup Co. products on Instacart to make a dish — but flub the execution — can upload a picture of it here and have a replacement dish made by a local ghost kitchen delivered.

One good read: One million New Yorkers have downloaded COVID Alert NY. Are you one of them? From Tech:NYC board member Kevin Sheekey: Enlist technology to target COVD (New York Daily News)

One good listen: In the latest episode of Talk:NYC, Julie spoke with ABC Executive Producer, entrepreneur, author, and former Hearst CCO, Joanna Coles. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

One final call: CovidWatcher, an initiative by Columbia University researchers and supported by Tech:NYC and other community partners, is looking for startup founders and tech executives from companies with under 100 employees to participate in a short survey on your business needs and challenges. Please complete the short survey by tomorrow, Nov. 25.

Yesterday's results: The discrepancy between how the city and state report COVID infection data has often left New Yorkers with mixed messages — but both sets of guidance can have meaningful consequences on New Yorkers’ work and home lives. Which data do you rely on?

Today's poll

: A

new Axios-Ipsos poll

shows six in 10 Americans are dialing back this year’s Thanksgiving plans because of the pandemic — cutting the number of seats at the dinner table, canceling travel, or scrapping plans altogether. Did you change your Thanksgiving plans as a result of the recent COVID-19 spikes?

*|SURVEY: Yes, I am celebrating with a smaller group than planned / just my household|*
*|SURVEY: Yes, I canceled travel plans|*
*|SURVEY: Yes, I canceled all my plans and am not celebrating|*
*|SURVEY: No, my plans haven’t changed|*

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

Reopening:

The mayor said he expects NYC to be designated as an “orange zone” under state metrics in the coming weeks. (Patch NYC)
- That would mean the closure of indoor dining and other high-risk, nonessential businesses like gyms and salons.
- It would also extend school closures. But after at least four days of shutdown, schools in an “orange zone” can reopen provided that the entire school body (students, teachers, and other staff) are tested before reentrance, and a rotating 25 percent of students and staff are tested weekly thereafter. Find more about that guidance here.
So far, Mayor de Blasio has offered few specifics on the city’s plan to reopen school buildings. He has said it will be a phased approach, starting with schools that serve students with special needs, followed by 3-K and pre-K classes, then elementary schools. (NBC New York)
In a new poll, an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers said they definitely or probably would take the COVID-19 vaccine. (Wall Street Journal) 34 percent of respondents said they would either probably not or definitely not take it.
- With three major vaccine candidates showing promising results and the beginning of distribution imminent, doctors are urging the CDC to be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting the first dose. (CNBC)
The city is lagging behind Mayor de Blasio’s self-imposed Sept. 30 deadline to make sure hospitals have a minimum 90-day supply of PPE in the wake of expected surges this season. (THE CITY) The city also missed the Oct. 30 extension and now says it will meet those capacity levels “in the next few weeks.”
As part of his annual statewide tour, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with county leaders and mayors across New York, all of whom urged more forgivable loans to small businesses and aid to local governments direct from the federal government, as opposed to aid being controlled and distributed by the state. (The Daily Star)
Your Thanksgiving traditions are not the only ones changing. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is still happening, but it’ll look a bit different: there’ll be fewer balloons, a shorter route, and of course, a lot less people there. (New York Times)