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The US is returning to early pandemic surges and restrictions. It's time to compel people to do the right thing, expert says

It has been months since Covid-19 vaccines were made available to most of the US population and things are looking much more like they did early in the pandemic: cases are surging, events are being postponed and restrictions are back The culprit is the insufficient rate of vaccinations, and a solution may be to mandate that people take action to protect themselves and their community, said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the US Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisory committee. "We've hit a wall," Offit told CNN's…

Publication CNN
Date 2021-07-29
Author Madeline Holcombe

Here’s how companies are responding to the rise in coronavirus cases.

Companies are rushing to revisit their coronavirus precautions, with some mandating vaccines and pushing back targets for when employees are expected to return to the office, as cases rise across the United States, fueled by the Delta variant and slower pace of vaccinations Lyft said on Wednesday that it would not require employees to return to the office until February, while Twitter said it would close its newly reopened offices in San Francisco and New York and indefinitely postpone other reopening plans. Their actions follow announcements by authorities in California and New York City that they will require hundreds of…

Date 2021-07-29
Author The New York Times

City Worker Vaccine Mandate Has Private Employers in NYC Scrambling

A deluge of vaccine and testing orders from multiple levels of government this week is forcing New York’s private employers to wrestle with adopting new policies to maintain a healthy workplace without violating worker rights Contractors, building trades leaders, and union officials conferred with real estate leaders on Tuesday to determine the best course of action for nudging skeptical employees to get vaccinated and launch testing programs, sources told Commercial Observer. Employers had been reluctant to jump ahead of government guidelines on vaccinations before setting their own policies. Some companies have established voluntary incentives, like asking for proof of vaccination…

Publication Commercial Observer
Date 2021-07-29
Author Aaron Short

Sven Wraps Up Construction At 29-37 41st Avenue In Long Island City, Queens

It looks like construction is coming to a close on Sven, a 762-foot-tall skyscraper at 29-37 41st Avenue and the second-tallest building in Long Island City, Queens. Also known as Queens Plaza Park, the 67-story tower is designed by Handel Architects for The Durst Organization and will yield 958 rental units with interiors designed by Selldorf Architects, including 300 units set aside as affordable housing. Hunter Roberts is the general contractor and Jaros, Baum & Bolles Engineering administered the mechanical systems for the project, which is bound by Northern Boulevard to the east, Queens Plaza North and Dutch Kills Green…

Publication New York YIMBY
Date 2021-07-28
Author Michael Young

Building consultant Vidaris takes 19,000 s/f at Durst tower

The Durst Organization announced that Vidaris, Inc. has signed a 10-year lease for 19,000 s/f on the 24th floor at One Five One West 44nd Street. Vidaris is moving from 360 Park Avenue South Building on its pedigree as the first green skyscraper in the country, One Five One West 42nd Street achieved LEED Gold certification under LEED v4 Existing Buildings: Operations + Maintenance. This accomplishment is a result of a $150 million-plus capital improvement program which included: new entrances, a lobby renovation, new destination dispatch controls and elevators cabs, enhanced building automation and temperature control systems, and demand-controlled ventilation…

Date 2021-07-21
Author Real Estate Weekly
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