Tech:NYC Digest: November 6

Tech:NYC Digest: November 6

November 06, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Friday, November 6, 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: New NYS COVID infections mainly from Upstate regions; Brooklyn and Rockaway hotspot designations to be reduced or removed; Gov. Cuomo upping National Guard presence at NY airports to enforce travel advisory; 20 percent of JPMorgan staff have returned to NYC offices, but return decisions remain up to unit heads who vary on strategy.

Confirmed Cases:

  • New York State: 522,021 (+3,209)

  • New York City: 268,663 (+1,203)

  • Statewide Fatalities: 25,910 (+18)

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

General Updates:

  • National coronavirus cases continue to climb, reaching a record 120,000 new daily cases yesterday. (CNN)

  • New York is also seeing a surge across the state, reporting more than 3,000 new cases, the most since early May. (Bloomberg) Much of that surge, which has pushed the statewide positivity rate to 1.9 percent, is coming from Upstate regions. (Time Union) Long Island has also reached a two percent positivity rate. (Newsday) Staten Island is reporting new clusters. (New York Post) And, across the river, New Jersey is on track to reach 250,000 total infections this weekend. (Bloomberg)

  • At this hour, the presidential election hasn’t officially been called, but the Biden camp is feeling confident. (NPR) That’s good news for Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, who are relying on a Biden win for any chance of state and local government relief in a future stimulus package. (NY State of Politics) But such a package would still need to pass both the House and Senate, and with Democrats failing to gain control of the Senate, it’s far from guaranteed.

One fun read: An Ode to Steve Kornacki & His Khakis (Refinery29)

Today’s poll: As if the pandemic wasn’t enough to distort our sense of time, the restlessness, continuous Twitter refreshing, and cascading anxiety has turned this week into something between an instant and an eternity. What has your sleep schedule looked like this week?

Today's poll

: UGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…. So when do you think networks will call the presidential race?

  • *|SURVEY: Today|*

  • *|SURVEY: This weekend|*

  • *|SURVEY: In the coming week|*

  • *|SURVEY: Beyond next week|*

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

Reopening:

  • Several key New York State Legislature races are still undecided, but they could have an impact on the agenda in Albany next year. (NBC New York) Foremost will be how the state finds new sources of much-needed revenue to counteract deep budget shortfalls. According to the state Comptroller, the state’s tax revenue has shrunk $4 billion compared to the previous fiscal year. (NY State of Politics)

    • The regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana is one idea gaining steam. (Wall Street Journal) Following the passage of a New Jersey referendum to legalize recreational marijuana, pressure is on to do the same in New York. (Crain’s NY)

  • There have been some improvements in the city’s designated hotspot zones. Brooklyn’s “red zone” and “yellow zone” will be downsized by 50 percent, and the hotspot zone in Far Rockaway will be removed. (Gothamist)

  • As we get closer to the holiday travel season, Gov. Cuomo announced today there will be an increased National Guard presence at the state’s airports to stop travelers that aren’t compliant with the new travel advisory and quarantine policy from entering the state. (NBC New York)

  • NYC is in the middle of a two-week period in which public schools students can switch from all-remote instruction to a blended learning schedule. Depending on how many students make that switch, principals could expand the number of in-person instruction days students receive at some schools. (Wall Street Journal)

Related reading:

  • How Joe Biden Can Be the Amtrak President New York Needs (Curbed)

Working:

  • JPMorgan Chase says about 20 percent of staff across the firm had returned to New York offices by mid-October, but the bank’s asset management staffers — some 23,000 people — will be at the end of the list to return, according to the unit’s head, Mary Erodes, who lauded that working from home has given her staff “more thinking time.” (Bloomberg) CEO Jamie Dimon has been allowing individual unit leaders to determine when their teams return.

Related reading:

  • What’s It Like To Return to the Office? Tales of New Yorkers Who Are Braving Buildings in Midtown (New York Times)

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 10: Virtual: 5G Forum, with Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg and Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon. Hosted by Axios. (Details)

  • November 17: Virtual: #FunctionsNYC: What’s Next For Policing and Public Safety, with Center for Policing Equity co-founder Tracie Keesee and Elucd CEO Michael Simon. Hosted by Tech:NYC. (Details)

  • November 18: Virtual: Crain’s Business Forum, with US Senator Chuck Schumer. Hosted by Crain’s. (Details)

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

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