In only a few months, the coronavirus pandemic has upended the daily lives of people around the world. Globally, the economic impact of the virus has led to new categorisations of “essential” workers, a large-scale move to remote work and from is expected to continue increasing, even after life in the new normal. 

Daily Working Routines Ditched

Amid stay-at-home orders across in Gibraltar, office workers in particular, have ditched their daily working routines to work from dining room tables, couches and beds in their own homes. Many may find themselves in this situation for the long haul, as some businesses potentially struggle to find a path forward while restrictions slowly lift.

Never has the need for technology been more keenly felt than during the Covid-19 pandemic. With so many people, as explained, forced to stay at home, the power contained within the devices at our fingertips has become a vital extension of our working lives.

Smartphones have been an invaluable tool as apps and services were rapidly adapted to help people deal with the crisis, whether that entails enabling us to order groceries or food online or making more use of contactless payment systems.

According to a recent international survey, demand for online delivery surged more than 30% in the first week that governments announced measures ordering people to stay home, and more than 80% in the following weeks. We have seen this in Gibraltar as well, with restaurants and traditional retail outlets promptly offering home delivery services.

Is There Any Turning Back?

Social distancing also led to a spike in video calling, with huge percentage rises being reported across several platforms. These facilities have not just been used in the workplace, but also in schools, social chats and in the performing and cultural arts. The manifestation of talent being streamed straight into the palm of our hand has indeed been a comfort for many and has been part of home entertainment boosting as well.

We have also become keener on talking to one another, more readily dialling the number of a loved one or a friend with whom we had not recently been in contact to check on how they are doing.

The question on everyone’s lips is: since we have all discovered this new world, this new way of communicating, is ‘there any turning back’? Will we return to frantically battling traffic to get to a meeting or do our shopping? Will we ever return to how we were before the Covid-19 pandemic or take the positive elements we have learned and apply them to our future conduct once the situation returns to normal?

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04-06-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR