The fact that the global impact of the Covid-19 virus is deadly serious cannot be challenged. However, this impact varies greatly from country to country, as do the methods being used to combat the virus. From a transport and logistics viewpoint, we are seeing differences in safe practices for prevention of the disease spread, and in plans for the return of some economic activity.
From a professional viewpoint it is vital to consider what the best practice responses are. We should understand and collate the best from the different examples globally. Many of these responses are changing week by week as we learn more, and we will be sharing and reporting through our bulletins and webinars over the coming weeks and months.
The current focus is on safe practices and travel. Our contrast here is between Poland, Singapore and the UK. It is interesting to review the different approaches both to lockdown, and to attempts by each country to gradually restore travel and work safely.
Singapore had some of the earliest cases of the virus, contained any cases within its hospitals, had a second surge of cases, and overall has contained the numbers and deaths to very low levels. They describe the lockdown period as their circuit breaker period. Singapore is now describing the measures that need to be in place before selective economic activities can resume. This is best highlighted in a quotation from one of their government ministers, Minister Chan Chun Sing, in a Facebook post on 3rd May:
As we work towards progressively opening up our economy, we will ensure that the health and safety of our people remains our top priority, but we recognise that their livelihoods are equally important.
Read more about the advice being given and the balance between government and employer responsibilities in Singapore.
The impact of the virus in Poland has been more severe, but deaths are currently under a thousand. Transport and logistics has been severely impacted, and again there has been government advice to start to restore parts of the economy. Read a report here from CILT Poland on guidelines for public transport.
At present the UK has one of the highest levels of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the world, spread across all areas of the country and population. A lockdown has been in place for 7 weeks, and has recently been extended further into June at least. Now the government is issuing its first advice on how to restore some travel and some economic activity, and has released its 60 Page “Our Plan to Rebuild” document. Read the full document here
This is an example of an international business response which we are sharing as part of our global best practice resource to help you think about and determine appropriate responses locally.
