Category: covid-19
Bird lays off about 30% of workforce amid COVID-19 pandemic
Bird is the latest startup hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Bird laid off about 30% of its employees amid the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, TechCrunch has learned. “The unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has forced our leadership team and the board of directors to make many extremely difficult and painful…
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NYU makes face shield design for healthcare workers that can be built in under a minute available to all
New York University is among the many academic, private and public institutions doing what it can to address the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) among healthcare workers across the world. The school worked quickly to develop an open-source face-shield design, and is now offering that design freely to any…
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Instacart shoppers are planning a nationwide strike to demand better safety protections and pay amid COVID-19
Instacart shoppers, led by the folks over at Gig Workers Collective, are planning a nationwide strike in protest of the company’s practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Vice first reported. Shoppers, who are responsible for grocery shopping and deliveries, say they have urged Instacart to take proper safety precautions, such as…
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House passes historic $2 trillion coronavirus economic rescue bill
A massive bipartisan effort to provide relief to a U.S. economy on ice just leapt over its last major hurdle. On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a historic stimulus package known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security or “CARES” act, which contains an unprecedented $2.2 trillion in…
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Apple launches COVID-19 screening website
Big tech companies are looking to ensure that people have easy access to key information on COVID-19. Today, Apple launched its own coronavirus screening site (apple.com/covid19) developed alongside the White House, CDC and FEMA. The site is pretty simple with basic information about best practices and safety tips alongside a…
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Telco metadata grab is for modelling COVID-19 spread, not tracking citizens, says EC
As part of its response to the public health emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission has been leaning on Europe’s telcos to share aggregate location data on their users. “The Commission kick-started a discussion with mobile phone operators about the provision of aggregated and anonymised mobile phone…
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