News Update – Thursday, July 9, 2020

APCO Worldwide's Coronavirus Beat is a weekly publication on the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, economies, policy and culture, and how leaders are responding. The next newsletter will appear Tuesday, July 14.

As the situation evolves, APCO would like to continue to ensure we’re delivering the most value to our readers. If you would like to provide us with feedback to help continue improving the content, please fill out this two-minute survey here.

Business & Economic Impact

1. The UK government announced a GBP 30 billion stimulus measure to prevent economic shock from the pandemic as the country exits lockdown, The Wall Street Journal

2. Reports from the OECD and European Commission show it may take years for the global economy to recover, with a deeper European recession than forecasted, The New York Times
3. Canada's deficit is expected to hit CAD 343 billion, largely attributed to pandemic support programs that pushed federal spending to a level not seen since World War II, Bloomberg

Global Policy

1. The United States notified the UN of its withdrawal from the WHO effective July 2021, in a move that could reshape the global pandemic response, The Washington Post

2. Singapore’s ruling party is extending its mandate ahead of the July 10 election to reinvent the economy post-COVID, with investments in biomedical sciences and AI, Bloomberg
3. In Africa, lack of coronavirus data and some governments' reluctance to acknowledge epidemics raise fears of a 'silent epidemic,' Reuters

Control Measures

1. Strict lockdown measures were re-imposed in Melbourne for six weeks, as Victoria, Australia's most densely populated state, witnessed a record rise in coronavirus cases, ABC

2. A German court ended a lockdown in Gütersloh first imposed in June due to an outbreak at a meatpacking facility, ruling that the lockdown was disproportionate, BBC
3. Colombia’s national lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus will be extended by just over two weeks until August 1, Reuters

Worth Noting

1. The WHO confirmed there is emerging evidence of airborne transmission of the coronavirus following growing public pressure from the scientific community, CNN

2. Two U.S. airlines canceled services to Hong Kong over mandatory testing concerns, fearing that positive tests could throw flight operations into chaos, South China Morning Post
3. As countries deploy coronavirus-tracking apps, researchers are reporting privacy risks that could affect millions of people and undermine trust in public health, The New York Times

Stay Ahead: Insights from APCO

Fighting for Survival: How Restaurants & Retail Businesses Can Outsmart COVID-19

Scott Conklin, consultant, and Ellie Rutland, senior associate director, discuss how restaurants and retail businesses can plan for change during and after the pandemic:

Person standing on label on floor asking to practice social distancing

"The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the vital and irreplaceable role restaurant and retail businesses play in our lives. And while it is an existential risk to many—as evidenced by the wave of recent high-profile bankruptcies—this moment presents a tremendous opportunity to shape the future of modern restaurants and retail stores for the better.

With a COVID-19 vaccine still several months or years away, local factors will continue to inform how businesses can move ahead; but in order to come back stronger, business owners must plan for more change, meet their customers where they are and prepare for the long haul, which may include rethinking the restaurant and retail experience as we know it."

What China’s Blockchain Development Means for Foreign MNCs

Cherry Cheung, project assistant in APCO Worldwide’s Beijing office, discusses how the pandemic is impacting China's blockchain efforts and the opportunities this provides for foreign multinationals:

"The COVID-19 pandemic is propelling the development of blockchain in China, as the technology has presented itself as a much-needed solution to widespread social and economic challenges. In particular, unprecedented supply chain disruptions have revealed the critical value of blockchain in enhancing order tracking and delivery tracing, to ensure the timely supply of critical medical resources.

During the pandemic, China has called on several pilot cities and enterprises to adopt blockchain technology as a means of accelerating the digitalization of supply chain management, in order to stabilize global supply chains and facilitate post-pandemic business resumption."

Some Positive News

Wedding gowns for healthcare heroes: Nonprofit donates wedding gowns to health care workers across the United States working on the pandemic front lines, TODAY
Serenading patients: A Chilean nurse stayed at the hospital after her shift, using her violin to serenade patients and exhausted staff in a show of love and hope, Fox News
Coronavirus and triplets: A woman is now a mom of three healthy triplets following a hard-fought battle with COVID-19, spending over a month in the hospital, PEOPLE

More Tips from Around the Water Cooler

How parents can help protect kids from the coronavirus when schools reopen, CBS New s
Six tips for business and financial planning during a crisis, Forbes
As we emerge from COVID-19, how can we build a better world of work? World Economic Forum
An 'infodemic' of misinformation is crippling the coronavirus pandemic response, here is how to fight it, Axios

Quotables

“We are on the cusp of something very, very bad if we don't take these steps. I think a sense of complacency has crept into us as we let our frustrations get the better of us.”

- Daniel Andrew, Premier of Victoria, Australia

“We are basically back where we were in 2010. In three months, we’ve lost all the gains in employment that it took a decade to make.”

- Stefano Scarpetta, Director of Employment at the OECD

The APCO team is working with clients globally to manage this crisis, and we stand ready to support your needs. For more resources from APCO, including our latest research, information on how we can help or to contact us, visit apcoworldwide.com/coronavirus.

About Coronavirus Beat

Coronavirus Beat is a bulletin of updates and clippings from the most relevant media and government sources created to help APCO’s clients keep abreast of the impacts of COVID-19 from around the world. APCO is supporting clients in managing the issues they confront related to the outbreak. Contact our crisis team at Crisis360@apcoworldwide.com or +1.866.360.APCO (toll-free) or +1.866.483.2726 (outside the United States).

APCO Worldwide is an advisory and advocacy communications consultancy helping leading public and private sector organizations act with agility, and build organizational reputations, brands, relationships and solutions to succeed. APCO has offices in more than 30 major cities throughout the world. To find out how APCO’s integrated services can help your company, visit apcoworldwide.com.