APCO Worldwide's Coronavirus Beat is a twice weekly publication on the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, economies, policy and culture, and how leaders are responding. The next newsletter will appear Thursday, May 7.
Have a comment about this newsletter? We welcome your feedback.
Business & Economic Impact
1. Economists forecast double-digit declines globally as countries and multilateral institutions implement bailouts that could collectively total $10 trillion, Council on Foreign Relations
2.With theaters closed and revenues estimated to fall by $17 billion by May, film and TV studios are working out how to get back to the business of show, World Economic Forum 3. As the pandemic is plunging GDP and increasing unemployment rates, analysts are starting to fret over a new risk from the coronavirus pandemic: deflation, USA Today
Global Policy
1. A global alliance of world leaders is expected to raise $8 billion at a virtual summit to equitably distribute vaccines and therapeutics to tackle the pandemic, The Guardian
2. Government officials are warning world leaders not to lose focus on global security threats as terrorist groups exploit the coronavirus pandemic to increase their operations,The Hill 3.The United States is looking to remove global industrial supply chains from China as it weighs new tariffs due to Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak,Reuters
Control Measures
1. The French government published its "deconfinement protocol" such as requiring a minimum of 4 square meters per employee and prohibiting employee screenings, Le Figaro
2.Japan's prime minister extends the country’s national state of emergency to May 31 but it may end sooner after a reassessment on May 14, Nikkei Asian Review
3.Hong Kong set to relax restrictions, such as increasing restaurant capacity and permitting gatherings of up to eight people, as health outcomes improve, South China Morning Post
Worth Noting
1. Tech companies are providing health officials Bluetooth proximity-based approaches to reduce privacy fears by keeping data decentralized and identities anonymous, Quartz
2. Experts warn that vaccine timelines look ambitious and argue more thought is needed on manufacturing, despite recent positive data on testing and potential treatments, CNBC 3.India's power consumption in April decreased by 22% compared to last year due to low demand amid the lockdown and relatively cooler weather in recent weeks,The Times of India
Stay Ahead: Insights from APCO
To access the latest research and resources on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit APCO's Coronavirus Hub.
On the Come Back Stronger blog series, APCO's Jen Young and Melissa Munoz discuss the future of the patient-provider relationship and how the pandemic changed the way patients receive care:
"When we think about how to Come Back Stronger, we must recognize that this new paradigm pushes alternative opportunities for care to the forefront faster than what could have been expected when 2020 began, and establishes a renewed sense of support and belief in our nation’s doctors, nurses and health workers, including the hospitals and health systems they work in.
But it also raises many questions, from immediacy of adoption and the efficacy of services, to the protection of personal information critical to the provider-patient relationship."
In PR Daily, APCO's Nicole Monge discusses how organizations respond to this crisis might be what their reputation is based on for years to come:
"Leaders and organizations must ask themselves: Do these decisions connect to our overall strategic framework for why we’re here? Are we being consistent with the persona we put out into the world? Is that purpose one that is authentic to us, but also positively benefits the community we’re so entrenched in? As with all actions taken during this time, there are moments of uncertainty and questioning around important decisions being made."
In RealClear Health, APCO's Wayne Pines discusses how this crisis presents an opportunity to identify how to improve our systems to manage health threats in the future:
"The coronavirus pandemic reminds me of Sputnik. Just as Sputnik riveted us in 1957, so too coronavirus rivets us today. To be sure, coronavirus threatens all of our health and has changed how we live, shop, interact and do business, and thus is on a much larger scale than Sputnik. But coronavirus also has exposed lapses in our health care system that can be fixed only with the same kind of Sputnik-like focus that engulfed the U.S. in 1957 and into the next decades."
As the UK begins to contemplate the easing of lockdown measures, how will crucial NHS services resume? What is the next phase of the health system response to the pandemic? What changes made over the last few weeks will remain? And, what does COVID-19 mean for the government’s health and social care reform agenda? On Tuesday, May 12 from 8:30am - 9:30am BST, you are invited to join a conversation with Richard Sloggett, former special adviser to Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock, and Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange, who will discuss the impact of the lockdown measures on the UK health system. RSVP here.
CHICAGO BENDING THE CURVE
APCO colleagues are sharing on-the-ground insights and analysis on the impact of COVID-19 in markets around the world. Today’s dispatch from APCO’s Chicago office highlights the situation in Illinois and neighboring states with the easing of lockdown restrictions.
As the coronavirus crisis continues and cases continue to grow, individual states have started to relax restrictions while the biggest municipalities are still cautioning residents to stay inside. In Illinois, a modified stay-at-home order effective as of May 1 allows nonessential stores to now open for pickup and delivery, allows greenhouses, garden centers, nurseries and animal grooming services to now reopen as essential businesses and requires all essential businesses and manufacturers to provide face coverings and follow social distancing requirements. The City of Chicago, however, has emphasized the importance of staying home through a series of public service announcements featuring the Mayor in a humorous ‘stay home, save lives’ PSA and ensuring Chicago’s famous Art Institute Lions were properly fitted with masks. Despite these newly modified restrictions, hundreds of protestors continue to rally across the region, protesting the stay-at-home orders and pushing to reopen economies.
While Illinois and the broader Midwestern region gradually relax restrictions, the impact of the outbreak remains evident in key industries, including agriculture and manufacturing. Over the course of the past eight weeks, more than 838,000 people have filed new unemployment claims in Illinois alone. Meanwhile, nationwide concerns of meat shortages, and excess and overcrowded animals as a result of meatpacking plant closures further concerns that the broader U.S. meat industry is a source of new coronavirus hotspots. In response, two weeks ago Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, announcing a partnership to reopen the regional economy. This week, Gov. Pritzker addressed Illinois’ efforts to significantly “bend the curve” and reduce hospitalizations, noting that the state is now “getting ready for a point where we can begin to reopen the economy”. Aware that the agriculture issues will require close coordination and communication with local, state and federal governments, as companies develop plans to safely reopen, hyperlocal factors must also be weighed in considering the gradual relaunch of the Midwestern economy.
Some Positive News
Virtual Graduation: John Krasinski hosted a virtual graduation with celebrity speakers in his "Some Good News" YouTube Channel, Los Angeles Times
Billionaire Donates Meals: TiffinLabs, co-founded by one of Singapore's youngest billionaires Kishin R.K., set up a foundation to give free meals, The Straits Times
Positive Outlook: France, Italy and Spain register lowest daily death tolls in weeks as they prepare to ease restrictions, BBC
More Tips from Around the Water Cooler
Hotel industry issues coronavirus safety guidelines ahead of anticipated travel surge, USA Today
Advice for dealing with uncertainty, from people who've been there, NPR
Let’s get through the coronavirus era together. Here are some tools, Los Angeles Times
How to throw the best virtual graduation party, CNN
Graduation advice from Bill and Melinda Gates, Amy Chua and others during a moment of crisis, The Wall Street Journal
Quotables
“It's not going to disappear from the planet... In my mind, it's inevitable that we will have a return of the virus or maybe it had never even went away. When it does, how we handle it will determine our fate.”
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
"The government bodies at the national, state, county and city levels must unite in a comprehensive, thoughtful and productive way to allow our team members to work in safety without fear, panic or worry... The private and public sectors must come together. As a country, this is our time to show the world what we can do when working together."
- John Tyson, Board Chairman, Tyson Foods
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.
