A New World: Post COVID-19
BRYCE MCGERTT
The declaration of a global emergency has affected our communities and ways of life across the world. COVID-19 also known as “the corona virus” has not reached its peak here in Arizona and is not expected to until the end of July. Amidst a centennial pandemic, how will our world be changed?
Local businesses experienced a drastic decline in sales due to the immediate closure of store fronts that do not sell essential items. This has caused former employees to apply for unemployment due to being laid-off work until further notice.
Businesses are searching for alternatives such as providing curb side pick-up and delivery services. Although closing non-essential businesses has slowed the spread of the corona virus, it has also created a sense of financial insecurity.
It is a grim ordeal to see bare shelves when looking for essential items at your local grocery store. When the state of emergency was first announced, some at once fled to stores to hoard gallons of hand sanitizer and paper products including paper towels, toilet paper, and hand wipes.
Stores such as Target and Wal-Mart now limit purchases on essential items. Stores are restocking daily to meet the demand of essential merchandise. Yet, name brand companies nationwide are also encountering supply shortages due to the pandemic.
Today, it is common to see people walking through aisles wearing masks and gloves while trying to avoid all human contact to grab essential items. Because of these shortages, people are also lining up hours before stores open to get their gloves on said products.
Not everyone who lines up is guaranteed to go home with what they waited hours for. Often customers leave empty-handed, frustrated, and hopeless.
To keep customers safe, companies have implemented displayed CDC regulations like to keep 6-feet’s distance from others. Many stores have also added Plexiglas at checkout, require customers to wear masks upon entering, and require workers to take extra safety precautions to slow the virus by “flattening the curve.”
The pandemic has shaken the foundation of people’s livelihoods, but it has not broken our spirits. The urgency of COVID-19 has compelled individuals and organizations alike to create methods to practice social distancing and flatten the curve. In this way, the world can “reopen” once we have proper safety procedures and health precautions in place. A world that utilizes innovation to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of all human beings.
Photography by Post Independent.