Four numbers that explain the new normal

Coronavirus has resulted in an explosion of new words and phrases that were hitherto not commonly used in our everyday conversations and exchanges. This new vocabulary includes words and phrases such as “self-isolating”, “quarantine”, “lockdown”, “social distancing” amongst others.

One of such new phrases on the block is “New Normal”. In pre-Covid-19 times, this phrase was used to describe ‘a previously unfamiliar or atypical situation that has become standard, usual or expected’. Usage of the phrase has increased significantly since the outbreak as a way of highlighting the changes caused by Covid-19 in virtually all spheres of life and what a post-pandemic world will look like. Simply put, the phrase is used to describe what life will look like soon as countries lift lockdown restrictions.

In the new world described, there is one common factor: things will never be the same again. Don’t believe it? Well, here are four numbers that paint a clearer picture of the new order:

6

A commercial real estate company has released a 6-feet Office prototype to help companies return to their offices in a post-pandemic world.

Before COVID-19, a typical workday involved a strenuous commute, an early morning ‘wake-me-up’ (coffee, tea, and exercise), replying emails and attending several meetings. However, the last few weeks has seen many employees working from makeshift home offices, sometimes working round the clock and struggling to find a work-life balance.

Some experts believe this is the new normal – the shift from work cubicles to home offices, lunch meetings to virtual meetings and board meetings to couch conferences. In fact, tech giants including Twitter, Facebook are willing to allow their employees to work from home even if some of their physical locations are re-opened later this year or in 2021.

There is however the possibility of a return to office life – only in a different form and design. Office spaces will be redesigned to include more space between workstations, sensors to eliminate touch points and temperature checks at entry points. To give a clearer picture of the new normal for office spaces, Cushman & Wakefield, developed the concept of 6 Feet Office. The prototype emphasises the 6-feet rule of social distancing and incorporates this rule in workstations as well as other office facilities. The model, which hopes to use design to nudge appropriate behaviour, could very well be a preview of the future of work.

4

The new social distancing guidelines and health screenings at airports could result in a four-hour check-in process.

When the crisis started, the aviation industry was amongst the first to be severely affected. Travel restrictions imposed by different governments resulted in a significant decline in global air travel demand and cash strapped carriers and airports struggled to stay afloat. Carriers such as Avianca, Virgin Australia have filed for bankruptcy while Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa sought government bailout to fight the pandemic-induced slowdown.

However, with more countries loosening their lockdown restrictions, airlines are now manoeuvring their paths out of hibernation. Industry stakeholders including airlines, government authorities, airports and passengers all agree that a new face of air travel beckons even more than after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Passengers got a glimpse of the new travel experience when Emirates resumed scheduled flights on May 21. The protective barriers at check-in counters, modified in-flight services, checked in cabin baggage and mandatory gloves and masks were just a few of the changes to air travel. There is also the possibility that middle seats on airplanes will soon become extinct as some airlines consider leaving them empty as a way of complying with social distancing.

Despite these changes, air travel recovery will lag economic recovery. In other words, airline profitability is unlikely to return to the pre-pandemic trajectory in the short term. The road to recovery for airlines will be long and expensive owing to weak demand, reduced load factor, slow turnaround time amongst others.

300

When the Bundesliga league (the topmost professional football league in Germany) returned on May 16 after a nine-week break, no more than 300 people were present in stadiums including players, coaches, officials and media personalities. This is a far cry from an average 40,000 fans that were hitherto in stadium stands cheering their favourite player(s).

Whilst some football fans were happy to have a semblance of what used to be the highlight of their Saturday afternoons, others found it difficult to accept the deafening silence and eerie stadium as the new reality.

Unfortunately, the proximity, social contact (celebratory hi-5’s, fist bumps) and contaminated surfaces including food concession stands that were once the soul of live football now makes stadiums a high risk for the spread of the virus. Although the thrill of sports viewership is in social settings, all bets are off as to when stadiums will be reopened. For now, the earliest foreseeable time frame is 2021.

50

For film production, the show will go on but with only 50 people on set.

When Australian soap opera, Neighbours, continued filming during the peak of the pandemic, the world watched and not just for its entertaining appeal. The soap opera offered a preview into the new normal for film and TV production. Not only were writers forced to alter plots and characters to allow for social distancing protocols, the cast and crew were divided into groups with restricted movement, extras were almost non-existent and make-up and hair services were scaled back. This was proof that a post-pandemic world will look different for actors, crew members and the audience at large.

Staggered shifts for crew members, disinfecting equipment as well as other health and safety precautions are sure to stretch the shooting schedule and budgets of blockbusters. Rising production costs at a time of dwindling revenues and demand will put a financial strain on movie houses and studios in the near to long term. The 2020 Box Office already has a late start which could cause ticket sales revenue to drop by 50 percent to approximately $6 billion.