Impact of the coronavirus in the US, Germany, and worldwide – Statistics & Facts
Published on: November 2nd, 2020 / Update from: November 2nd, 2020 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Decision-making aids in data, figures, facts and statistics as PDF for free download, see below.
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Impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy – Statistics & Facts
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Impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global economy – PDF Download
While there is no way to tell exactly what the economic damage from the global COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic will be, there is widespread agreement among economists that it will have severe negative impacts on the global economy. Early estimates predicted that, should the virus become a global pandemic, most major economies will lose at least 2.4 percent of the value of their gross domestic product (GDP) over 2020, leading economists to already reduce their 2020 forecasts of global economic growth down from around 3.0 percent to 2.4 percent. To put this number in perspective, global GDP was estimated at around 86.6 trillion US dollars in 2019 – meaning that just a 0.4 percent drop in economic growth amounts to almost 3.5 trillion US dollars in lost economic output. However, these predictions were made prior to COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic, and before the implementation of widespread restrictions on social contact to stop the spread of the virus. Since then, global stock markets have suffered dramatic falls due to the outbreak, and the Dow Jones reported its largest-ever single day fall of almost 3,000 points on March 16, 2020 – beating its previous record of 2,300 points that was set only four days earlier.
The economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is largely driven by a fall in demand, meaning that there are not consumers to purchase the goods and services available in the global economy. This dynamic can be clearly seen in heavily affected industries such as travel and tourism. To slow the spread of the virus, countries placed restrictions on travel, meaning that many people cannot purchase flights for holidays or business trips. This reduction in consumer demand causes airlines to lose planned revenue, meaning they then need to cut their expenses by reducing the number of flights they operate. Without government assistance, eventually airlines will also need to reduce lay off staff to further cut costs. The same dynamic applies to other industries, for example with falling demand for oil and new cars as daily commutes, social events and holidays are no longer possible. As companies start cutting staff to make up for lost revenue, the worry is that this will create a downward economic spiral when these newly unemployed workers can no longer afford to purchase unaffected goods and services. To use retail as an example, an increase in unemployment will compound the reduction in sales that occurred from the closure of shopfronts, cascading the crisis over to the online retail segment (which has increased throughout the crisis). It is this dynamic that has economists contemplating whether the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a global recession on the scale of the Great Depression.
Despite the clear danger that the global economy is in, there are also reasons to be hopeful that this worst-case scenario can be avoided. Governments have learned from previous crises that the effects of a demand-driven recession can be countered with government spending. Consequently, many governments are increasing their provision of monetary welfare to citizens, and ensuring businesses have access to the funds needed to keep their staff employed throughout the pandemic. In addition, the specific nature of this crisis means that some sectors may benefit, such as e-commerce, food retail, and the healthcare industry – providing at least some economic growth to offset the damage. Finally, there is the fact that the crisis may have a clear end date when all restrictions on movement can be lifted (for example, when a vaccine is developed). Taken together, this means it is at least possible the global economy could experience a sharp rebound once the pandemic is over. There are still many variables that could affect such an economic recovery – for example, a reduced supply of goods and services to meet lower demand could create mid-term shortages and price increases – but there are some reasons to think that, with the right mix of appropriate government responses and luck, some of the more apocalyptic predictions may not come to pass.
Coronavirus: impact on the transportation and logistics industry worldwide – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus: impact on the transportation and logistics industry worldwide – PDF Download
The transportation and logistics industry performs one of the most vital services of the modern globalized and interconnected world. Since the beginning of 2020, more and more countries across the globe shut down their borders and limited transportation and travel to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, thus, creating impediments for international trade and transportation. The pandemic affects almost every dimension of economic activity and individuals globally. As a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak, important supply chains in the logistic and transportation industry are hampered, although differently across air, freight and sea sectors. The coronavirus outbreak brought a meta-uncertainty. Therefore, there are various interpretations of its potential consequences on the logistics and transportation industry.
One estimated economic impact of COVID-19 on the global logistics industry is a decrease of 6.1 percent in gross value added by the logistics industry.
The estimated impact of COVID-19 on markets logistics varies across countries, from a 0.9 decline in China to 18.1 decline in Italy. The global freight forwarding market is expected to shrink by 7.5 percent at worst in 2020 compared with 2019. In a severe impact scenario, the North American sea and air freight forwarding market is expected to contract by 12.1 and 9.5 percent respectively in 2020 compared with the previous year. COVID-19 also affected freight traffic in the US Rail traffic in the United States was hit the hardest in April 2020, with 25.2 percent fewer carloads being transported compared with the same month the year before. Perhaps the aviation industry was worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic compared to other sectors. Between March 2019 and March 2020, air freight volume globally declined by 19 percent. In March 2020, total air freight volume amounted to only four million metric tons. Compared to passenger air transportation, the effect of COVID-19 on the freight aviation industry is relatively mild because regulatory restrictions were less stringent. For example, almost all passenger flights have been canceled amid the coronavirus outbreak around the globe. The weekly number of international scheduled flights declined by roughly 46.4 percent during the week of March 23, 2020, in comparison with the week of March 25, 2019. One month after, the year-on-year change in the number of scheduled flights declined by 69.9 percent in the week starting May 4, 2020 compared to the week of May 6, 2019.
Coronavirus: impact on the FMCG market worldwide – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus: impact on the FMCG market worldwide – PDF Download
The world is currently experiencing a pandemic due to the highly infectious virus known as the coronavirus, or COVID-19. In an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, many countries have imposed temporary closures to non-essential stores, bars, and venues, as well as putting a ban on large public gatherings and encouraging people to work from home wherever possible. As such, the market for fast-moving consumer goods faces considerable changes: demand for consumer packaged goods (CPG) has climbed sharply in heavily-affected countries, while growth in household goods spending surged as well. One way people try to reduce their chances of catching the virus is by decreasing the frequency of going to the grocery store. Some consumers are resorting to stockpiling water and food. Others are using e-commerce to purchase products that they would usually find in a store.
North America is currently feeling COVID-19's impact. In the United States, places that were impacted by COVID-19 early on saw a surge in purchases of fast-moving consumer goods, such as packaged and frozen foods. Consumers are also purchasing paper products and home care items at an increased rate. Some people deliberately stock up on certain products, with over half of respondents purchasing with the hopes of supplies lasting about two weeks. In Canada, people are more frequently purchasing dry and canned goods, as well as home goods products such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Over half of Canadian respondents living in Manitoba stated that they had made food provisions as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. In both countries, most markets for legal cannabis have seen a decrease in inventory, although Nevada is a notable exception. Baby boomers' legal cannabis consumption has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, members of Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z increased purchases, perhaps to keep up the comfort levels at home while decreasing the frequency of going out to the store.
The coronavirus was first recorded in Latin America on February 26, when Brazil established a case in São Paulo. Since then, governments across the region have taken a variety of actions to protect their citizens and contain COVID-19's spread. Meanwhile, citizens are modifying their behavior to stop the spread of the virus. Brazil saw an increase in consumption of hygiene goods, especially face masks and antibacterial gels. Hand sanitizers had a sales growth of 623 percent from March 2019. Colombian consumers purchased around thirty percent more household cleaning products than this time last year. In Argentina, most consumers purchase more personal care and household cleaning products, as well as purchase more substantial amounts in order to decrease trips to the store.
COVID-19 continues to spread across Europe, and governments are taking action with travel advisories and school closures. Consumers, in turn, are changing their spending habits in various parts of the continent. In Italy, household cleaners and personal care products were bought in higher quantities. Compared to the previous year, sales of over-the-counter health care products increased by 100 percent in Italy. Within the UK, more frozen and packaged foods are purchased. Around twenty percent of UK consumers are stockpiling goods, although stockpiling is viewed as unacceptable by the majority of the population surveyed. In Germany, goods hoarded tend to be pantry items such as flour and rice, as well as disinfecting products. This is similar to Russia, where consumers stockpiled cereals and canned food goods the most, as well as masks.
The first impacts the virus had on the Chinese market were apparent already in February of 2020. Several consumer product categories saw a serious online median price fluctuation, while other products faced shortages on e-commerce platforms. Similarly, in Hong Kong, the most recently out-of-stock items were all-purpose bleach, cleaning wipes, and paper towels, meaning that consumers purchased these items beyond supply capacity. Emergency food sales online in South Korea increased massively, especially in the case of canned foods, which grew by 268 percent compared to the previous week. Australia, which had over five thousand cases as of April 7, 2020, also saw boosts in online purchases of certain products. Pasta, eggs, and canned meals were the food items with the largest increases in sales. It is uncertain what the exact long-term effects of COVID-19 on the FMCG market will be, but the pandemic's economic and social significance is already apparent.
Coronavirus: impact on the retail industry worldwide – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus: impact on the retail industry worldwide – PDF Download
The world is currently experiencing a pandemic due to the highly infectious virus known as the coronavirus, or COVID-19. In an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, many countries have imposed temporary closures to non-necessity stores, bars, and venues, as well as putting a ban on large public gatherings and encouraging people to work from home wherever possible. As such, the retail industry faces substantial shifts: the amount of growth in retail sales had already dropped between 2019 and 2020, even before the outbreak of the virus, which is certain to have further ramifications. Certain sectors have witnessed growth, with and considerable increases in sales of consumer goods recorded in heavily-affected countries, such as the United States, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. This increase is in part because grocery stores have remained open and consumers appear to be stocking up on certain goods and supplies.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a surge in consumer spending in China and the United States, with a high share of consumers stockpiling food. In the United States, general merchandisers or multi-purpose outlets like Walmart and Target have gained the most, with dollar sales of consumer packaged goods increasing 10 percent relative to the year before. Consumers are increasingly worried about going to retail spaces where they could contract the airborne virus. As such, over 47 percent of consumers have reduced their day-to-day in-store spending, and over twenty percent of respondents in the United States said that their frequency of purchasing goods online had increased during this time.
Within China, the first outbreak location of the pandemic, worries of COVID-19's negative effect on multiple sectors seem to be evident, as multiple industries, including transportation, trade, and recreation, experienced declines from pre-COVID-19 levels. Sales of consumer goods dropped across the country in the first two months of 2020 when compared to the same period of the previous year. The majority of Chinese consumers expected to increase spending on medical treatments and sports after the coronavirus pandemic had passed.
As the pandemic spread, Italy became a hot-spot, with over 100,000 cases as of the first week of April. During the ensuing lockdown, E-commerce sales in Italy have seen definite increases throughout the duration of the outbreak. Large-scale retail centers, such as supermarkets and discounters, also experienced growth in sales, especially in Northern Italy, the region with the highest density of Coronavirus cases. Placenza, Cremona, and Pavia saw the highest increase in sales in that region.
Although the number of reported cases in Germany has dropped compared to a week ago, it is too soon to tell if the measures taken have successfully flattened the curve. Germany followed many of the precautions that Italy implemented, including shutting down, public spaces, sporting events, bars, and restaurants. These recommendations and official guidelines will impact the retail sector as well as almost all industries. However, it will take some time for these figures to become available so that the true extent can be seen. For example, footfall across popular shopping streets across the country decreased dramatically.
As coronavirus cases and even deaths increased in the United Kingdom, shopping patterns were slow to change. However, well-traveled shopping locations have all become less frequented, especially high-street. It's expected that clothing and footwear sales will drop substantially, and the retail sector in total will decrease due to the coronavirus.
The majority of consumers are changing their behavior, staying at home more, washing their hands frequently, and practicing social distancing. As such, most of the products being purchased at higher rates are related to these activities: hygiene and cleaning products, food, and home entertainment sales top the retail list. In contrast, consumers are spending less on activities such as going out, traveling, or hobbies. It is yet to be seen what the full effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the worldwide retail industry will be, but one has to assume it's impact will be significant.
Coronavirus: impact on the retail landscape in the US – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus: impact on the retail landscape in the US – PDF Download
Every state in the United States has now reported cases of COVID-19, with the number of cases increasing every day. In an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, many states closed schools, bars, restaurants, and movie theaters, as well as limiting large public gatherings and encouraging people to work from home. As such, the retail industry faces substantial shifts: consumer spending on certain items, such as groceries, household supplies, and home entertainment, has increased. In contrast, spending on items, such as apparel, accessories, and out-of-home entertainment, has substantially decreased. The demand for consumer packaged goods grew by 9.5 percent in the United States, which may be attributable to consumers stockpiling food.
When at the grocery store, consumers have bought considerably more amounts of edible groceries, especially packaged food, alcohol, and beverages, presumably to keep up the comfort levels at home while decreasing the frequency of going out to the store. In terms of food and beverages, purchases of vegetarian and vegan items rose the most: sales of oat milk grew by 347 percent, while meat alternative sales grew by just over 200 percent. Many consumers are increasing purchases of home goods as well, including the phenomenon of panic buying massive amounts of household necessity products, such as toilet paper and hand sanitizers. Paper products were the most frequently bought non-edible grocery product due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A majority of consumers in the United States stated that they would be likely to avoid malls and other public spaces if the coronavirus outbreak continued to worsen. At the same time, there has been a growth of online activity for industries, such as media, grocery retail, and telecommunication. Over twenty percent of respondents in the United States said that their frequency of purchasing goods online had increased compared to one month previously. In particular, grocery delivery app usage rose, with apps such as Instacart, Walmart Grocery, and Shipt seeing well over one hundred percent growth in application downloads.
E-commerce retailers are divided on what effect COVID-19 will have on their businesses, while traditional format retailers expect some downside revenue implications due to the outbreak. For consumers worried about shortages, the majority of respondents in every country surveyed stated that they expected any food and supply shortages at local grocery stores during the pandemic outbreak to be caused by people stockpiling goods, as opposed to supply chain disruption.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the US – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the US – PDF Download
The coronavirus (COVID-19) disease continues to spread around the world, with over 44 million cases and around 1.1 million deaths as of October 28, 2020. In the United States, the number of infections has risen dramatically since the first week of March , and the US now has more confirmed cases and deaths than any other country worldwide. All 50 states have been affected, with New York reporting the highest number of deaths and California and Texas with the highest number of cases in the United States.
Government response
As of October 27, almost 8.7 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Testing for the virus ran into some early problems when initial diagnostic kits from the CDC were found to be defective. However, the United States has since performed over 135 million tests, which is the second most of any country. In response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, many states encouraged self-isolation and working from home. At the end of March it was estimated that over 90 percent of the US population was under some kind of stay-at-home order. To further prevent the spread of the virus, most states also closed bars and restaurants, canceled public events, and banned large gatherings.
At the end of May, many states began lifting lockdown restrictions and reopening in order to revive their economies, despite warnings that it was still too early. As a result, by mid-July, around 33 states were reporting higher rates of new cases compared to the previous week with only three states reporting declining rates. The government's response to the pandemic has been criticized since cases first started appearing in the US, with many pointing to contradictory statements from the White House regarding the severity of the outbreak and a general lack of leadership and guidance. A Statista survey that ran from March 23 to May 31 found that US adults were consistently less satisfied with their government's response to COVID-19 than their counterparts in Germany and the United Kingdom.
Deaths and the situation in New York
Around 232,084 people had died from COVID-19 in the United States as of October 28. The disease is far worse than many first thought: a survey from March 11 found that around 90 percent of US adults believed that Fewer than 10,000 Americans would die from the disease over the next year. On March 31, the White House's coronavirus task force stated that between 100,000 and 200,000 Americans could die. The elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions are more vulnerable to the illness, and the older US adults get, the more they regard the coronavirus a major threat to their health.
The level of COVID-19 activity has differed from state to state, but New York has been one of the hardest hit, with around 495,464 positive cases as of October 24. New York currently has the second highest death rate from COVID-19, behind New Jersey. New York City alone has reported 16,532 deaths from the disease.
Economic impact
As countries struggle to flatten the coronavirus curve, some focus has shifted to the pandemic's impact on the global economy. In the United States, around 88 percent of adults think COVID-19 is a major threat to the domestic economy, while 49 percent feel it is a threat to their personal financial situation. In response to the impact on the US economy, the United States government has passed a two trillion US dollar relief bill, which is the largest economic stimulus package in US history. The pandemic has already affected many industries – from retail to sports – but its long-term impact on the domestic and global economies is difficult to predict, with repercussions expected to be felt around the world for many more months.
Coronavirus: impact on online usage in the US – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus: impact on online usage in the US – PDF Download
From school lessons and office work to physical exercise and doctors' appointments – more aspects of people's daily social and professional lives are moving online as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This trend is particularly visible in the United States, where the number of confirmed infections has been on a steady rise since early 2020. While the US government has not yet imposed a nationwide lockdown, the population is advised to stay at home, self-isolate , or shelter in place, while most states and localities have already issued school and public business closures in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Hence, millions of Americans are now turning to technology for communication, entertainment, and work, causing an unprecedented spike in data traffic. The first weeks of March saw an 18 percent increase in in-home data usage compared to the same period in 2019, with average daily data usage rates exceeding 16.6 GB.
As a result of society's virtual shutdown, online traffic surged double-digits across multiple categories in March. While online gaming activities skyrocketed, there has also been a visible increase in VPN usage, web traffic, and streaming over the past few months. Digital communication services are witnessing particularly high demand, as large shares of Americans are practicing social distancing and limiting in-person interactions amidst the coronavirus crisis. According to a recent survey, 76 percent of adults used e-mail or other messaging services to communicate with others, and while these virtual forms of contact cannot fully replace face-to-face encounters, they certainly act as a good, and, most Importantly, safe alternative.
Another aspect of social life that is gradually shifting online due to COVID-19 is shopping. As a wide range of businesses were forced to temporarily close their doors in the wake of the pandemic, around 37 percent of consumers expected to spend more on goods from online marketplaces such as Amazon in March 2020. While pharmacies and grocery stores remain open across the county, a large share of Americans reported a willingness to purchase medications and groceries online, if confined at home. When asked about their online media consumption during quarantine, over 40 percent of US respondents professed to have watched more content on streaming services, while another 40 percent expected to spend more time watching YouTube videos to entertain themselves at home.
Other types of online content that are seeing visitor boosts as a result of the coronavirus outbreak are online news formats. Online media is among the most-used sources of information about the virus because it offers real-time updates on the progression of the disease, as well as the latest numbers of confirmed cases. The website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov) was the most popular governmental web domain in the United States in March 2020, with almost 432.3 million digital visits. As the majority of the American population consider the CDC the most trustworthy source of information on COVID-19, cdc.gov recorded over 934 million page views that month. That said, social media was considered the least trustworthy source of information on the coronavirus outbreak, according to a March survey.
But while upward data usage trends can be seen as indicators of compliance with stay-at-home orders, they are also putting a major strain on the internet. With millions of Americans working from home, usage of remote-access technologies and video-conferencing apps is spiking. Around 37 percent of US respondents reported using their laptops more due to the coronavirus outbreak, and as quarantines are not set to be suspended anytime soon, the increase in fixed-line and mobile internet usage will likely continue in the weeks and months to come. Internet companies and broadband providers are therefore faced with the enormous challenge of ensuring the functioning of networks during this unprecedented stress test of the US internet infrastructure. A digital challenge of a different type has already manifested itself for a large share of the US population. As millions of households across the country do not have an internet connection, workers are struggling to perform work duties remotely, emphasizing how the digital divide is still prevalent in the year 2020.
Coronavirus: impact on e-commerce in the US – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus: impact on e-commerce in the US – PDF Download
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to sweep across the United States, it is taking an ever-increasing toll on public health, as well as numerous other industries and sectors. From travel and tourism to finance and construction – almost every aspect of the US economy has been affected by the global pandemic. One industry that has seen particularly noticeable changes over the past few months is e-commerce. As most states have issued stay-at-home orders in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease, many Americans are now self-isolating while turning to technology for work, education, communication, and shopping.
When asked about the changes in their general lifestyle due to COVID-19 in April 2020, around 67 percent of surveyed US adults reported going to the shops less, while another 52 percent reported shopping more online. This shift from physical to digital shopping carts is one of several precautions citizens have started to take since infections began to multiply across the country in early 2020. In order to avoid contracting the virus in a crowded store, over 20 percent of Americans stated that their frequency of purchasing goods online increased in March, and even those who had never used e-commerce services in the past felt motivated to do so in the wake of the crisis.
Looking at the categories and products with the highest spikes in consumer demand, household necessities and hygiene products stood out as the top sellers among US buyers. This trend is also reflected online, as disposable gloves have become the fastest-growing e-commerce category in March 2020, followed by bread machines and cold medicine. In contrast, spending on items like travel gear and sports equipment has significantly decreased as a result of the travel ban and other government-imposed containment measures. So, where do quarantined US consumers purchase the plethora of products they deem necessary to navigate the corona crisis? Just like in many other parts of the world, the most popular destination is Amazon. The e-retail giant recorded almost 4.06 billion visitors worldwide in March 2020 and even had to temporarily limit its deliveries to essential items in some regions following the unprecedented flood of orders. Other e-commerce sites that have seen substantial growth in global include health and medicine e-retailers as well as furniture and home decor platforms. Overall, COVID-19 contributed to a six percent traffic increase on retail platforms worldwide between January and March 2020, leading many e-commerce retailers in the United States to expect production delays and inventory shortages in the future.
One of the most visible shifts in US consumer demand and behavior, however, can be seen in regard to grocery shopping. According to a global survey conducted in April 2020, roughly 30 percent of US consumers spent more than usual on food and drinks due to COVID-19, with packaged foods, alcohol, and nonperishable items most frequently purchased for their long shelf lives. But not only the amount and type of food that US customers buy and sometimes stockpile has shifted in the first quarter of 2020, but also the preferred avenues. Around 74 percent of surveyed shoppers indicated a willingness to visit online grocery platforms during home isolation to avoid trips to the supermarket. In return, orders on online grocery delivery platforms like Postmates and DoorDash are surging, with Instacart, one of the most popular grocery delivery apps in the United States, seeing a 218 percent increase in downloads in March 2020. But while these services offer customers a safe and flexible alternative to jammed grocery stores or restaurants, companies like Instacart are also facing harsh criticism for their treatment of delivery workers. As couriers are hired as gig workers instead of employees, they do not receive sick pay or other health benefits. Seeing that these contractors work on the frontlines of the pandemic, their lack of financial and physical protection against the coronavirus has been an ongoing point of contention.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Germany – PDF Download – Statistics & Facts
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Germany – PDF Download
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has already been defined in 2020 on a global scale. COVID-19 is the official name for the coronavirus disease, with the first confirmed cases recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan, located in the Hubei province, in November 2019. The respiratory disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This is a new virus not identified in humans before, which means that prior treatment had not been and still is not available, nor is there a vaccine to combat the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Scientists and pharmaceutical companies all over the world are working on finding a cure.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Germany was among the European countries most affected by the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide. The first confirmed coronavirus case in Germany was recorded in the southern state of Bavaria on January 28, 2020. Case numbers began to rise rapidly on a daily basis at the beginning of March 2020 and continued to grow nationwide, as more members of the population get tested for the virus, many after returning from winter vacations in other severely affected European countries such as Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Each of the 16 German Federal States now has confirmed COVID-19 cases, with Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg being the most affected. Based on recent figures, as far as cities and districts in the country are concerned, the three most populous German cities have been hit the hardest with the disease: Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. Currently, more women than men have been infected with the coronavirus.
As of March 23, 2020, the German government imposed a so-called contact ban among the population in an effort to slow down the spread of the disease. While research on how exactly the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads is ongoing, it has been established that the infection can transfer from person to person. According to the WHO, when a person is already infected with the virus coughs or exhales, small droplets are released from their nose and mouth. If someone else is standing close, or touches the surfaces on which these droplets land, the risk of infection immediately rises. Although it was still allowed to go outside in Germany, gatherings in public spaces exceeding two people were at first forbidden by the government, with the exception of more than two members living in the same household or taking public transport. Except for families or non-related members of the population living under the same roof, keeping a physical distance in public is a rule, with local police forces contributing to help uphold the new regulations. This addition to daily life is being referred to as social distancing.
Even before the introduction of the contact ban, Germany, like other European countries, had already made a number of changes to public life in an effort to protect the population from the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. Daycare facilities, schools and universities were successively closed around the country, as were gyms, museums, theaters, clubs, bars, restaurants, libraries, cinemas, shops and stores. Establishments belonging to the food and health care sectors remained open and accessible to the population, although with added adjustments due to the contact ban. During April and May 2020, as the German government began easing shutdown measures, decisions were also handed down to individual state governments, with numerous establishments reopening. Social distancing, wearing protective face masks and overseeing the number of people gathering in public spaces such as stores and shops continue to accompany daily life outside of the home.
The aforementioned measures mean that, as a consequence, businesses and industries in all of Germany faced serious financial issues due to the absence of customers and consumers using their services, as well as travel restrictions both on a national and international level. Another worry is reduced performance due to the possibility of more employees being on sick leave. During a recent survey conducted among German companies, it was clear that the travel and hospitality industry in particular were already noticing the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on their business. When surveyed on revenue expectations in the near future, companies varied between making estimates regarding losses and stating that currently it was not possible to make a prediction. German e-commerce is also expecting to be impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, with common concerns including delivery delays or cancellations for restocking goods, as well as a revenue decline.
