PM Narendra Modi declared a three-week nationwide lockdown starting midnight Tuesday, explaining that it was the only way of breaking the Covid-19 infection cycle. This essentially extended the lockdown from most states and Union Territories to the entire country and provided a more definite timeline. “Social distancing is the only way to break the cycle of infection,” he said.
All other lockdown conditions, such as the availability of essential commodities, remain the same, the government clarified.
In
his second address to the nation on the Covid-19 outbreak, Modi told people to
stay inside their homes for 21 days, warning that if they didn’t do so the
country would be set back 21 years and families would be destroyed. His last
address was on the outbreak was on March 19.
“This is like a curfew, and far stricter than the ‘Janata Curfew’ (on March 22),” the PM said. “Seeing the present conditions, this lockdown will be for 21 days. This is to save India, save each citizen and save your family. Do not step outside your house. For 21 days, forget what is stepping outside. There is a Lakshman Rekha on your doorstep. Even one step outside your house will bring the coronavirus inside your house.”
The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus, or COVID-19, a pandemic. It’s an uncertain time with lots of unknowns, and while we don’t have all the answers, we want to share what we do know and offer some guidance for our customers and other small businesses that may be experiencing shifts in their business.
This pandemic is affecting the health of the public, and it’s also impacting the economy. According to Google, “since the first week of February, search interest in coronavirus increased by +260% globally.” While spikes in search trends are common during events of this scale, there have also been surges in traffic for related products and topics as a direct response to the pandemic.
Over the past week, remote working has quickly gone from a company-specific arrangement to city-wide and, in some cases, statewide emergency policy as local governments across the country scramble to contain the spread of Covid-19. As of this week, major cities across the India., including Bengaluru, Delhi and Heydrabad, have either initiated or are considering the shelter-in-place mandate, urging residents to work from home and stop all nonessential travel. It may be nice to avoid commuting and work from your living room couch every once in a while, but how, in the long run, this sudden change could affect productivity, morale and even job security, is an unsettling question to both employers and employees.
“It’s nobody’s choice to work from home [in the current situation]. Day one is probably easy and nice. Day 20 can be pretty hard. And no one knows what it will be like if this goes on for two months,
Here are a few tips from Golden to make working from home successful, based on his own experience running a remote working company:
1) Establish a dedicated work space. Working from the kitchen table or couch might be easy, but setting up a dedicated desk will make you happier and more productive.
2) Establish a morning routine and stick to it. Just because you are working remotely doesn’t mean you don’t need to get ready in the morning. While some people enjoy working in their pajamas, many find that getting ready like they were going to the office helps them maintain focus and work effectively.
3) Make sure your tech works. Invest in reliable internet access and a good router, and be prepared to use your phone as a backup.
4) Create an online “small talk” space with coworkers. Create general conversation slack channels, spend some time making small talk in our video calls and meetings, and generally put an emphasis on getting to know each other
