In the first half of 2020, a first wave of Covid-19 infections swept the globe. The pandemic quickly brought countries to a standstill, sorely testing their populations, economies and the resilience of their business ecosystems.
When countries finally reacted it was often by locking their populations down, confining large numbers of people to their homes to flatten the curve of the rate of infection and protect their healthcare systems from being overwhelmed by a surge in serious cases.
The countries which were quickest to act emerged faster from the first wave, with lower impact on human lives and the economy than those who acted more slowly. Some countries sought to avoid a lockdown altogether, while others managed to keep operating at reduced rates with stringent preventive measures, hygiene controls, efficient contact tracing and localized quarantines and confinement orders.
Today, it is clear that the threat of COVID-19 is here to stay. Countries and companies face the imminent threat of a second wave of COVID-19 infections, and further waves are likely. For the world not to continue having to live in lockdown preventive measures need to be more widely adopted and maintained.
This white paper explores what companies can do at an organizational level to prepare for future outbreaks in order to protect their employees, customers and partners and safeguard business continuity.
