Let’s keep ahead of coronavirus

What you need to know:

The issue: Coronavirus
Our view: We need to think of creative and innovative ways of surviving as a country so as to avoid a total lockdown, which would have adverse effects on the economy.

As coronavirus brings the global economy to its knees, we need to keep ahead in terms of our emergency response plan. The threat posed by Covid-19 is real. It is actually disrupting our way of life in many ways. With schools, places of worship and other social places closed for a month, we had better prepare for more disruptions.
It is time to stock food items and other necessities. Although this inevitably requires a bigger budget than earlier planned, it is still better to consider buying in bulk.

As the economy struggles to get ahead of this global pandemic, the truth is that it will be tough, disruptive and costly in ways we have possibly never imagined.
The Coronavirus pandemic is slowing down economic activity. Economists have also predicted that the magnitude of damage from coronavirus infections could be worse than the 2008 financial economic crisis that didn’t cause people to stay home, ban mass gatherings and travels as well as shut down schools.
However, in the midst of these disruptions, it is better to rely on the power of technology to keep going.

Thailand, for instance, has turned to “ninja robots” to measure fevers and protect the health of overburdened medical workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak fight.
These robots have helped staff at four hospitals in and around Bangkok to reduce the risk of infection by allowing doctors and nurses to speak to patients over a video link. That is a commendable move.

But early coronavirus testing failures are likely to cost us. Currently, Uganda should ramp up her testing capacity to ensure that there are enough testing kits in different parts of the country.
This will go a long way in enabling us to effectively respond to the spread of this deadly virus. These tests could help us manage this crisis better.
As some people retreat to working remotely from their homes, technology will be their biggest ally. Laptop telework and video conferencing will soon become the order of the day. But not everyone can actually work from home.

As President Museveni said on Wednesday during his address to the nation, it is time to bolsterlocal production of those items which we have been importing from elsewhere.
We need to think of creative and innovative ways of surviving as a country so as to avoid a total lockdown, which would have adverse effects on the economy.