World Bank suggests return to work, more tests

To restart economies

MANILA, Philippines — Economies planning to emerge from the lockdown should get their people back to work quickly and safely and have a plan to test more people for the coronavirus disease, according to World Bank president David Malpass. 

“As we think about emerging from the lockdown, what is important is that people get back to work pretty quickly, that they stay safe, they find ways within their community or within their nation to be tested and to be aware of the distance needed under these new conditions, but also that they focus on high priority sectors to begin to reopen,” he said during a virtual press conference Friday night. 

Malpass also stressed the need for flexibility within the economy to enable workers to become productive especially in priority sectors, thus restoring business and consumer confidence. 

“And then I would like to repeat what I said earlier about the need for flexibility of market systems within economies, and as we think about the Philippines or Indonesia, there was that question earlier – these are massive island countries with diversity of systems, of cultures, of people, of ethnicity, that all need something different as we think about emerging from the crisis,” Malpass said.

“Allowing that to happen, that diversity to happen in a way that is consistent with the laws of the country, but allow people to move quickly back into productive output, I think that’s the way to go.” 

Governments, he said, must instill confidence in people to make them contribute to jumpstarting economies. 

“Inspiring confidence will be one of the biggest challenges for governments: to speak carefully, forcefully, and with confidence about the value of people, the value of the assets of the country, the sectors that can be profitable – all of that is going to be very important,” Malpass said. 

The Philippines has extended the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine until April 30 during which only businesses providing essential goods and services such as groceries, banks, and hospitals are allowed to operate. 

Only those needing to buy food and other essential goods or workers in essential businesses are allowed to go out of their homes. 

Last week, President Duterte threatened to impose a martial law-like crackdown in response to citizens violating quarantine rules by having the police and military enforce social distancing measures.