News Update – Tuesday, September 29, 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, October 6.

Have a comment about this newsletter? We welcome your feedback.

Business & Economic Impact

1. More than 35,000 U.S. airline workers will be furloughed or laid off on October 1 unless Congress passes legislation extending aid to the industry, U.S. News & World Report

2. The IHS Markit chief economist said the pandemic caused an economic shock three times worse than the 2008 financial crisis, but the worst could be over, World Economic Forum
3. After the pandemic forced China to bring industrial activity to a halt, global prices of metals are reflecting a renewed appetite for growth, The New York Times

Global Policy

1. The WHO announced plans to make 120 million affordable COVID-19 antigen tests available to lower and middle-income countries, World Health Organization

2. China announced that it is relaxing visa policies for some foreigners in a sign of confidence of the country's containment of the pandemic, South China Morning Post
3. During the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, President Trump demanded the UN hold China accountable for the coronavirus pandemic, The New York Times

Control Measures

1. In face of new spikes in coronavirus cases, the British government introduced significant new fines for those who fail to follow self-isolation guidance, Financial Times

2. The Iranian government is preparing to impose new lockdown restrictions, starting in Tehran, to stem a rapid rise in coronavirus cases, Reuters
3. Japan plans to gradually lift overseas travel alerts in October in a bid to spur the removal of entry restrictions implemented in other countries, N ikkei Asian Review

Worth Noting

1. A nationwide study has estimated that fewer than 10% of U.S. citizens have COVID-19 antibodies, showing that the U.S. is still a long way from achieving herd immunity, CNN

2. As the global coronavirus fatalities approach 1 million, the WHO warned that the number can double if countries don’t uniformly work to suppress the virus’ spread, CNBC
3. The World Bank warned that the pandemic drove up the number of people in poverty in East Asia, condemning 38 million people to poverty, Financial Times

Stay Ahead: Insights from APCO

For Retailers, Stakeholder Engagement Will Shape Holiday Season Success or Failure

Lee Betancourt, senior associate director in APCO’s Washington, D.C. office, discusses how how the pandemic has changed retail shopping for the upcoming holiday season:

"With the holiday shopping season expected to start earlier and be more consequential to companies’ year-end bottom lines than before, the retail industry is surely hoping that the remainder of 2020 will be its chance to come back stronger.

When considering the end-of-year retail experience, most discussion focuses on consumers. Will they return to shopping in-store? Or will online sales continue to reign supreme? Will shoppers be cautious with holiday spending? Or will they redirect money that would have otherwise gone to travel and experiences toward tangible gifts for family and friends? What health, safety or experience missteps will cause consumers who return to in-store shopping to retreat?"

Some Positive News

Therapeutic benefits of baking: British people have taken up baking in order to relieve stress and spread happiness in the face of new restrictions, The Guardian
IT upskilling: The increase in spare time due to COVID-19 restrictions prompted many workers to upskill by taking online IT courses, The Japan Times
Giving back during a pandemic: A family who experienced homelessness gives back by delivering food to people currently experiencing homelessness, TODAY

More Tips from Around the Water Cooler

How to keep the coronavirus at bay indoors, The New York Times
Three ways to motivate your team through an extended crisis, Harvard Business Review
How to harness the digital transformation of the COVID era, Harvard Business Review
A routine can benefit minds and bodies in a pandemic, The Japan Times

Quotables

“Most countries are not going to neglect safety checks...In fact, the major vaccine manufacturers signed a vaccine pledge just very recently promising that they would adhere to safety requirements of the regulatory agents and not jump ahead of the curve in an effort to so-called win the race. We have to make sure that while we're fighting this pandemic, we're preparing for the next. I do believe it's only a matter of time. Now is the time to prepare.”

- Julie Gerberding, Executive Vice-President and Chief Patient Officer, Strategic Communications, Global Public Policy and Population Health, MSD

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.