New Year is coming

Two weeks to New Year 2021. Countdown has started for me.

2020 has been a horrid year with Covid-19 pandemic impacting our lives. Could we look past it and start 2021 with hope of a better year?

The negatives include:

1. More infection cases of Covid-19 are still happening in most countries. The number of coronavirus cases globally topped 75.9 million. Number of deaths was 1.68 million people (Worldometer 19 December 00.57 GMT)

2. The International Monetary Fund projected a global contraction of -4.4% in GDP growth for the whole of 2020. (IMF October Report).

3. Singapore economy is forecasted to contract between 6.0% and 6.5%. (Source: MTI) Bonuses are being cut or frozen. This affects many businesses from retail sales to food & beverage sector.

4. The job outlook in Singapore still looks grim. Number of retrenched employees rose to 9,120 for Quarter 3. (Q2 was 8,130 retrenched employees) Unemployment rate for Singapore citizens was 4.9% based on October numbers. Ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons was 0.6 for September. (6 jobs for 10 unemployed) This means a shortfall of job vacancies.

The positives include:

1. Covid-19 vaccines are being rolled out in some countries to inoculate people against the virus.

2. Joe Biden is the President-elect to replace Donald Trump in 2021.

3. The world has now the experience to tackle Covid-19. The community cases are low in Singapore.

1. The problem with Covid-19 pandemic is reduced with the vaccination programme.

2. With extreme weather conditions around the world from forest-fires to stormy weathers, politicians and the people can come together to bring climate change under control.

3. Politicians and people in public services can be more transparent and honest with information dissemination to the public. Half-truths and selective reporting are killers of openness and trust.

4. People can adhere to recommendations of acceptable behaviours when confronting Covid-19 (especially social distancing). Everyone has to play his/her part in order for a good community outcome. Our health is in the hands of others too.

5. People can be kind and considerate towards others. This can result in better living conditions for everyone.

6. The global superpowers can stop imposing on each other with punitive measures such as trade restrictions and political supremacy posturing.

I wish to live in a kinder world without fear of conflicts leading to wars. I wish that we could take care of this Earth. Properties and lives can be lost if we do not.

Stay well and love yourself and others (including all living things). We are all connected to maintain the ecological balance of this Earth.