New normal

The urgent matter at hand is to do mass testing and contact tracing against COVID-19. “Test, test, test,” said World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. We cannot defeat an invisible enemy, so the key is to make it visible – check and trace who among the population are infected.

Yet life must go on at this time – under a new normal. Because even when this will be all over, the threat of recurrence will always be there until a vaccine for the masses is developed within, experts say, 12 to 18 months.

While most of us are under strict instructions to stay at home (and we should stay at home), some must go out to go to the bank, buy supplies, or do light exercise – all the time observing physical distancing. (The WHO wants us to ditch the phrase “social distancing” because our mental health requires that we stay connected with friends and family even while being physically apart.)

Last week I went to the bank to make an over-the-counter transaction. At the entrance, the guard pointed an infrared temperature gun at me. He then asked me to write my name and contact information in a logbook, which is likely for contact tracing when the need arises. Sofa benches were also marked with signs for physical distancing.

With physical distancing, interior office and public space design will also change. Designers will give special attention to the arrangement of furniture, fixtures and equipment to cue people to observe physical separation.

Cashless transactions may also become the new norm. Because of their constant use by various persons, handling paper money carries the risk of transmitting pathogens. I now encourage people, including my clients, to pay through GCash, card, or online banking.

This pandemic may also have an impact on our politics. In the next elections, I’m sure people will be more careful in choosing their leaders based on track record and character. Many local government leaders are rising up to the occasion, so to speak, and this experience will make them stronger.

On the other hand, I hope that politicians not really worth their salt will now think twice of running again for office. That is because of the possibility of another pandemic and disaster happening which would surely expose their incompetence and weak character. As we say in the vernacular, “dili magpatugatuga ug kupot ug gamhanan nga posisyon.”

Another likely result of this crisis will be the popularity of remote jobs. People will now consider certain type of jobs that are least likely to be disrupted by a pandemic. The jobs that can be done remotely include writing, editing, graphics design, and customer service support.

Healthcare jobs will also be in high demand, but lessons must be learned in how to protect our healthcare workers during a crisis. Meanwhile, those badly-hit sectors like manufacturing, construction, and the tourism and hospitality service sectors may still thrive but with sweeping adjustments. Restaurants and the food service industry will have to redesign their stores and service delivery system in order to adapt to the new normal.

There will likewise be sweeping changes in the manufacturing and distribution of medical and basic supplies. Lessons must be learned about the capability and self-sufficiency of our private and public manufacturing and service sectors to serve a sudden surge in demand.

For instance, we’re still trying to catch up on testing as more test kits are now made available. And over a week since stores ran out of alcohol and bleach, these products are still absent from the shelves.