Write an article on the new normals that we have adapted to consequent to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answers
We are nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic and infections and deaths are accelerating in many parts of the world. There are now more than 33.7 million confirmed cases and over one million deaths.
The Asia Pacific Region has comparatively low COVID-19 figures today, partly because countries have built up the capacities and mechanisms for emergency response over the years guided by the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies, or APSED.
However, as the pandemic in the Asia Pacific Region is entering a “new phase” of the outbreak, governments and individuals need to take further actions to mitigate risk and minimize transmission while maintaining social and economic activities.
While several countries have managed to contain outbreaks early on, many are now tackling new surges. For some, these new clusters have been larger and more complex than their initial outbreaks.