The State of the World’s Reopening
August 11, 2021
Jonathan Tick contributed to this post.
In early November 2019, the COVID-19 virus spread from Wuhan, China, and sent the world into a pandemic. In response, a multitude of stay at home orders and social distancing guidelines were established worldwide to keep people safe, resulting in both business closures due to a lack of customers and virtual classes becoming the norm for school learning. These changes have become the ‘new normal’ a year and a half later. But, with the spread of the vaccine, restrictions have started to change, and the world has started to reopen. So, what can we expect now in our new normal?
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), most of the world has restrictive travelling guidelines, meaning that travelling internationally also comes with many restrictions and processes done once the plane lands. For example, in Australia, passengers who are travelling through the country may or may not be subject to quarantine before they can reach their final destination if they reside in Australia for between 8 to 72 hours. A quarantine that will be put in place depending on which connecting flight brought them to Australia.
Workplaces and offices, on the other hand, are struggling to get back to pre-COVID levels of workplace activity. As a result of a greater majority of office workers working at home, the return back to the commute and the office has become a roadblock for both businesses and employees as the change back to ‘normalcy’ has remained slow. Nonetheless, organizations like the CDC have put in place detailed guidelines for all workplaces to ensure appropriate protection and safety of the workers and staff, while also keeping everything running as smoothly as possible.
Things get even more uncertain when school openings take the spotlight. As of March 2021, most major countries in the world like the United States, China, France, and Norway have classrooms open with limitations, requiring restrictions like smaller class sizes with students alternating on days to come to the classroom, and mandatory vaccinations for all teachers and staff. Some countries like Russia and Italy only have schools open in select areas, and other countries like the UK, India, and the Philippines don’t have schools open at all. In spite of that, many students around the world are still getting ready to go to school in the coming fall, now with masks and hand sanitizer as a part of their school supplies list alongside pencils and notebooks.
As of writing this, only about 27% of the world’s population is vaccinated against the virus, with only about half of those people being fully immunized against it. With the Delta Variant causing issues even for vaccinated people, how long until the world becomes free from this virus remains unknown. Still, the world is recovering from the pandemic, and more people are leaving their homes than before. So remember to wear your mask, wash your hands, and stay safe.
