Is the world free from Covid-19?
Employees at the Afrigen biotechnology company in Cape Town on October 5, 2021. A South African biotech consortium will make Africa’s first homegrown mRNA jab against Covid-19.
What you need to know:
- The pandemic caused a lot of challenges in the global travel industry, with restrictions and travel guidelines enforced in different economies.
- In countries such as China, travel activity was low in February. However, there has been a consistent recovery since.
- The reduction in Covid-19 incidence is therefore an achievement for most world economies.
The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc in most parts of the world, causing dire consequences.
Up to this month, the virus has claimed over 6.6 million lives.
The numbers usually vary by region and are influenced by the quality of healthcare systems, government response, testing volumes, initial outbreak, and population characteristics, among other factors.
Different countries put measures to curb the spread of the virus. They include restriction of movements, quarantine, vaccination and mandatory use of face masks.
The pandemic caused a lot of challenges in the global travel industry, with restrictions and travel guidelines enforced in different economies.
However, it is significant and encouraging that there is the stabilisation of travel activities in different parts of the country.
In countries such as China, travel activity was low in February. However, there has been consistent recovery since.
Moreover, there has been a considerable decline in the reported cases of the virus, suggesting a low rate of spread of the coronavirus.
In Kenya, the current caseload points to the containment of Covid-19.
However, one of the fundamental questions we need to ask ourselves is: is the world free from Covid-19? Are we out of the woods yet? The answer to this question is subjective, depending on where one is.
The overall number of reported Covid-19 cases in the world has reduced. The number of deaths has also declined significantly. As such, many economies have opted to relax Covid-19 containment measures.
This is good news because world economies can trade seamlessly. Economic activities that spur economic growth have resumed.
The reduction in Covid-19 incidence is therefore an achievement for most world economies.
If the current state is anything to go by, then soon, normalcy will return and there will be total abolition of measures to stop the virus, including vaccination.
Chris Diaz is a business leader and a Brand Africa trustee Twitter: @DiazchrisAfrica
