Economic impact
The economic impact of the nCov is currently being felt by many. In Hong Kong, the CEO of Cathay Pacific urges their 27,000 employees to take a leave of absence for three weeks without pay between March to June due to the impact of the protests and the coronavirus scare on the airline. The hard decision is the way to protect the business that has been hit hard by the aforementioned events. I assume the company sees the virus contained by that time.
Tourism in many Southeast Asian countries has also been hit by the coronavirus. Many do not travel to the region because of fear of infection. That includes Boracay. Arrivals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau are currently banned. Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai have been hit hard for the same reason. The mainland Chinese are their number one tourists. Singapore and Vietnam are also affected. Naturally, many Filipinos have apprehensions about traveling anywhere in the region since most countries already have recorded individuals positive for the nCov. The possibility of being in the same plane with an infected passenger worries many. But the last thing these popular destinations want to see are empty beaches.
All ports in the country are still open to arriving vessels including ships from China, although the crew will be forbidden to disembark. The open ports ensure the continued supply into the country. However, according to the Philippine Ports Authority, they see a reduction of shipments entering the country due to restrictions imposed by China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Philippine exports will also be affected by the restrictions.
A Filipino staff on a cruise ship along with 19 others also tested positive for the coronavirus. The ship is currently quarantined for 14 days off the Yokohama coast of Japan. A passenger who has since disembarked may have been the source of the infection. Another cruise ship off Hong Kong is also being isolated for two weeks as some 171 passengers are being tested. I can imagine the ease with which a virus can spread in a cruise ship. It is no different from a commercial flight.
No one can say when the spread of the nCov will stop. The virus itself should not be trivialized and treated as if it were nothing. While the virus is still spreading, we must all take the necessary precautions. The death toll in China has breached 500. SARS lasted for nine months (November 2002-July 2003) before the World Health Organization declared it was contained. We can only hope that with everyone concerned, the virus will be contained.
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