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Tech:NYC Digest: October 21

Tech:NYC Digest: October 21

October 21, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Wednesday, October 21, 2020One note: you’ll notice we got a makeover! While we have a fresh look, the timely and actionable news you need will remain the same — plus some new features coming soon! We’re grateful for all the readers who continue to engage with the digest, and if you have friends or colleagues who would like to get it, too, they can subscribe here.

The latest: Statewide positivity rate highest since June, meanwhile many hotspots get eased restrictions; new data shows NYC among top five major US cities that people relocated to during the pandemic; NYC Halloween guidance says wear a real mask despite what your costume may include; Amazon extends voluntary WFH through June 30, 2021.

Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 488,506 (+2,026)
New York City: 256,046 (+839)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,679 (+7)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.6 percent (+0.3 percent)

General Updates:

New York’s statewide positivity rate is now at 1.62 percent, the highest it has been since June. Daily cases surpassed 2,000 for the first time since May. In the state’s hotspot “red zones,” the positivity rate is up to 6.6 percent. (Bloomberg)
Gov. Cuomo eased some restrictions in several hotspot zones imposed a couple of weeks ago and updated guidance on how to identify potential new hotspots going forward. (NBC New York) More on that below.
Some good news: two new studies show a significant drop in the mortality rate among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. At the start of the pandemic, patients had a 25.6 percent chance of dying, and now it’s down to a 7.6 percent chance. (NPR)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she hopes to reach an agreement with the White House on a new stimulus package by the end of the week. (POLITICO) But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has advised the Trump administration not to strike a deal before the election. (New York Times)
The second and final presidential debate will air tomorrow night. (Wall Street Journal) The mics for Pres. Trump and VP Biden will be muted during their respective two minutes of uninterrupted response to the moderator’s question. Once each candidate has used their two minutes, the mics will be unmuted for the remaining 15 minutes on that topic. (New York Times)
And one last thing: we have to give our kudos to Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, who took to Twitch last night to livestream themselves playing games with famous streamers, while promoting voter turnout and civic engagement. (CNN) With over 4.5 million views, it’s already one of the most popular streams of all time.

One read for the ‘NYC is dead’ crowd: New York Among Top Cities for Relocators During the Pandemic (Bloomberg)

The latest results: New York’s travel advisory list has ballooned to over 40 states and territories as case counts surge across the country. Have you traveled to another state while it’s been on the advisory list?

11.4%: Yes, and I quarantined for 14 days when I returned
9.8%: Yes, and I didn’t quarantine for 14 days when I returned
78.8%: No, I haven’t traveled to a state on the list

Today’s poll: It’s 10 days until Halloween, and with most of the holiday’s activities being outdoors, it may actually be a nice reminder of how we had fun before the pandemic. Today, New Yorkers got some tips from the city on how to practice the holiday safely — wear a real mask, even if you have one for your costume, and avoid sharing candy! As decorations get put up and candy aisles are emptied out, what are you planning for Halloween this year?

*|SURVEY: Participating in a (small) Halloween party with friends in my pod|*
*|SURVEY: Going trick-or-treating with my family|*
*|SURVEY: Staying home, but will have candy to hand out|*
*|SURVEY: Staying home with no candy and no plans|*

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

Reopening:

It’s been two weeks since the state imposed lockdown orders on certain hotspot neighborhoods. Today, Gov. Cuomo announced reduced restrictions for areas where the infection rate has decreased: (Gothamist)
- In hotspot zones in Brooklyn and Queens, restrictions will be relaxed and all current red and orange zones will become cautionary “yellow zones,” except for the “red zone” in South Brooklyn, which will remain the same.
- Most of those areas will now be able to loosen restrictions on non-essential businesses, indoor and outdoor dining, and houses of worship. Schools may reopen on Monday.
- Rockland, Broome, and Orange counties have made progress, but not not enough to downgrade their restriction classification, so the current zone color markation will remain as is.
- Chemung and Steuben counties are experiencing new clusters, prompting the state to increase testing efforts and reimpose limits on gatherings. (NY State of Politics)
Moving forward, hotspot zones will be adjusted based on some new metrics. An area can:
- Exit the “red zone” when positive rates are under three percent for 10 days;
- Exit the “orange zone” when positive rates are under two percent for 10 days; and
- Exit the “yellow zone” when positive rates are under 1.5 percent for 10 days.
Mayor de Blasio laid out new guidelines for Halloween activities in NYC. (New York Post) Among them: families should only trick-or-treat outdoors, not inside apartment buildings; candy should be given out in a bowl and not physically by hand; and proper face masks should still be worn even if you have a costume mask.