EDITORIAL-SG: The Straits Times says- Innovating for a post-pandemic world

The Covid-19 pandemic has upended life as we know it. Over a quarter of the world’s 7.8 billion people are now confined to their homes, as businesses and schools have been shut in a bid to contain the virus. All of a sudden, the way people move around, eat, work and communicate has changed radically. Some of these adjustments, such as not physically meeting friends, are unlikely to endure beyond this pandemic. But others will, especially innovative solutions that help reduce the risk of transmission. Several countries provide a glimpse of what this future could look like. Japan has security gates that do not require people to remove their masks or tap ID cards, contactless lift panels, and touch-free menus to replace tablets. South Koreans have taken to live-streaming weddings, and schools are offering drive-through textbook pick-up services. In Singapore, delivery apps come with a contactless option to leave meals at the door.

.

Another impact of the outbreak has been the intensification of digital infrastructure and government surveillance. The low Covid-19 mortality rate in South Korea is partly attributable to extensive contact tracing using a global positioning system-enabled mobile app. Taiwan has a similar location-tracking “electronic fence” to monitor people’s movements. In China, the authorities have tapped blockchain and big data to anticipate where transmission clusters will emerge next. Tech giants Google and Apple are the latest to join the fray, with a Bluetooth-based platform that alerts people if they come into contact with infected persons.

.

At the global level, both the US-China trade war and pandemic have exposed the fragility of supply chains. These could now become shorter, less complex and more regional, so as to make them less vulnerable to unexpected events like epidemics. Countries are ramping up domestic production to reduce dependence on external supplies: Just last week, a $30 million grant was launched to help farms here increase their production of eggs, vegetables and fish over the next six to 24 months. The unprecedented fiscal firepower that governments have unleashed in recent times to save jobs and businesses can also present an opportunity to review existing policies, such as the adequacy of social safety nets for those in the informal sector.

A massive shock to the system like Covid-19 challenges convention and opens up many possibilities. The adoption of contactless technology and socially responsible behaviour, such as personal hygiene or staying home when ill, are positive developments that ought to be normalised. Others, like the extent of state support and the wide surveillance, will need rigorous debate. But one thing is clear. Post-pandemic, the world will look and feel quite different.

.