HEALTH
Responding to COVID-19 with Agility and Sustainability I t is now a tale as old as time, or at least it feels that way, for it oftentimes feels hard to remember life before COVID-19. Let’s journey back for argument’s sake, however. The COVID-19 outbreak started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, with more than 76,000 cases but struck worldwide in March 2020. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a pandemic around the same time because COVID-19 had an extraordinary impact on almost every country in the world. The world as we knew it changed and our so-called “new normal” reigns supreme today in many ways. By Johannes Ralegoreng – The BIHL Group Service Delivery Manager – IT
Organisations in various sectors worldwide were badly affected and have seen their revenues drop substantially in a matter of weeks, and in some cases, dwindling to almost nothing. This remains the reality for many. Countless companies have taken and continue to take reactive steps to ward off major losses, such as establishing remote work arrangements, securing supply chains, reducing employee workload, cutting costs, and applying for Government support. The pandemic continues to drive significant increases in market volatility nonetheless, with stock markets across the globe losing considerable value. Governments and monetary authorities around the world responded swiftly with varied measures to try and combat the impact of COVID-19 on public Strides Magazine
16
August 2021
health and its unavoidable impact on economic growth. Governments, including our own, have worked to establish relief funds, protocols and policy to help safeguard people as well as the economy. Countries started imposing measures from travel bans to lockdowns to help curb the rising infection numbers with the Government of Botswana declaring a state of emergency, instituting a lockdown and closing borders as a means to curb the spread of the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe effect on the economy in Botswana and the Government announced a P2 billion relief package and several measures to relieve businesses impacted by the virus. Our private sector has equally been strong to step to the plate and offer relief in many forms, as well as contribution to and support of Government efforts. There is no denying that the spread of COVID-19 is changing how we live and work in ways we would not have thought possible a year ago. Today’s new normal for businesses includes work-from-home difficulties, many simultaneously sick workers, disrupted supply chains, cash crunches, uncertain compliance obligations, and the mechanics of applying for new government programs. Today we ask ourselves in the corporation continuum what model approaches are we to incorporate in our businesses to increase revenue and will in new customers.
