A better normal

Last week, I wrote about how our immediate aim post-quarantine cannot be a return to our previous way of life. Instead, we must find a way to re-open our worlds while keeping ourselves safe from the threat of COVID-19. Once the quarantines end, we will emerge into what is being referred to as “the new normal” but which more accurately represents a time of transition. Those of us in areas now under the General Community Quarantine will be experiencing this now: A period where we will all be making adjustments as we try to find ways to do the things we used to do – work, play, socialization, worship – in a manner that safeguards public health. A period which we hope will be but a temporary stop before a permanent solution (such as a vaccine) is found.

In this new normal, social distancing, rigorous hygiene, and vigilance against symptoms will be the norm. But how this will be expressed will vary in different aspects of our daily lives. We can preview these changes by looking at what is already being done now, on a small scale, both here and in other countries.

Retail stores have been amongst the first wave of business that reopen when quarantines are eased, particularly those with items and services considered to be urgent: hardware stores for repairs, clothing for fast growing children. But many now limit the number of customers that may be inside at any one time, and deep cleaning of the premises will occur more often, even during commercial hours. These may also lead to pressure to avoid loitering, which will mean a drastic change in the way stores like bookshops are run. Sanitizing products after they are touched by customers may also become standard procedure, adding to wait times for customers and fatigue for staff.

For restaurants, areas where people congregate such as buffets or self service kiosks are being rethought. Barriers such as plexiglass may be placed between tables, and even then there may be fewer tables to ensure social distancing. Menus are more likely to be disposable and utensils may come sealed in plastic. Take-out and delivery services have become a larger source of revenue for re-opening restaurants. In both retail and food, cashless transactions are being encouraged.

Transportation has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and its accompanying travel restrictions. Deeply troubled airlines know that they will have their work cut out for them trying to make air travel safe and convince the public of the same, and there is a focus on increased disinfecting and minimizing interactions, such as having passengers grab their own meals as they board the plane instead of being served by flight attendants. You may not even recognize the attendants, who could now be dressed like biohazard inspectors.

Land transport will also need to change, particularly public transport. We’ve already seen make-shift attempts at social distancing in our buses and jeepneys, but these and disinfection regimens will have to become standardized and based on science. More difficult to achieve will be social distancing in queues, especially if waiting times will be made longer by the reduced capacity of each vehicle. One possible solution could be the virtual queues where a slot is reserved in advance and you are sent a message on your phone when it is your turn. But that brings its own set of problems…

Factories that have reopened have moved machines around and added markings on the floor to allow workers to gauge safe distances. One company produces distance through separating shifts, dividing its employees into two different teams that use different entrances and exits. Offices will require a redesign as well. A real estate firm with offices in China has proposed a design that includes color-coded carpets and plexiglass shields, managing the flow of foot traffic, and disposable desk pads. Of course physical meetings will be limited and remote work will account for a large proportion of work done. 

But there are also jobs which require physical presence and all the attendant risks that entails in a pandemic. Many of these jobs are essential during a pandemic: grocery workers, pharmacists, on-the-ground public employees such as LGU staff, delivery riders, and most especially healthcare workers. For these workers, this new normal should raise their status and protections commensurate with their importance so that we can mitigate, if not remedy, the health impact of social inequality. 

The pandemic has upended the status quo, and as we put the pieces of our “normal” back together, it is not only possible for us to make a New Normal that is better and more equitable – it is imperative that we do so. The pandemic has shown our interconnectedness as a society, and what uplifts our most vulnerable will protect us all.

Others have come to the conclusion that now is the time to explore better ways. Milan, one of the cities worst hit by COVID-19, recently announced the Strade Aperte plan, an ambitious attempt to reallocate street space from cars to bikes and pedestrians as a pro-environment way to provide for more socially distant alternatives to crowded public transportation. Meanwhile, Spain is adopting a policy once considered to be too radical for the mainstream, a universal basic income to help its poorest citizens survive the economic effects of the pandemic.

Whether such moves effectively address inequity is beside the point – the point is that an attempt at improvement must be made. Without making inroads in addressing structural inequities, the adaptations of the New Normal may be ineffective, or at worst, destructive. Without addressing the fact that not everyone has computers (or advanced smart phones) and high speed internet access, schools shifting to online learning risk leaving behind a large portion of the student population. Without guaranteeing a supply of PPEs, requiring their use in public places or as a pre-requisite to return to work risks sidelining the poor – who are the ones that most urgently need to return to work.

These are a myriad intertwined and complex issues, but they are issues we must continue to work on. There is a new world that is coming, like it or not. It is up to us to make it not just new, but better.

Next week I’ll try to look into any bills filed or other initiatives begun in the Philippines relating to a post lockdown world.