The Old Normal is dead. The virus has changed the world to a New Normal where we are still trying to figure out as we evolved with the pandemic and use technology for workaround solutions.
It has been 1.5 years into this once in a 100 years event which has changed our lifestyles and ways of working forever. Many previously thought to be difficult adoption processes were quickly made mainstream, not by choice. The acceleration of technological advances had taken a quantum leap into the unknown.
WFH was forced upon us as we encountered one lockdown after another. Not being able to travel and getting used to staying in your room/home for months became the status quo. Human nature is adaptable and we actually got used to it. Some even like it so much that they really didn’t want to go out anymore, even after we reopened… LOL
The next 6 months horizon looks promising. With more vaccinations and testing capabilities, a return towards a new normalcy could be possible, even as new variants appear. Various countries are attempting new experiments to open up to the world.
Phuket Thailand had just started its Sandbox reopening on 01 Jul and welcomed more than 400 vaccinated tourists to its shores on the first day. Resorts are offering fantastic deals – booking.com shows great long term deals for just a few hundred dollars. Phuket had made a great effort to get at least 70% of the population vaccinated. Vaccinated tourists will have to be tested before their flights and do it a few more times during their stay at Phuket without the need to quarantine themselves. They still have to wear masks but can move freely around the island. Once they are in Phuket for 14 days, they will be allowed to travel to other parts of Thailand.
This is a brave concept to experiment with a reopening for overseas vaccinated visitors for a country that is very dependent on tourism. Its success will bring hope to the rest of the world that perhaps we can open safely in a controlled manner. No country can shut itself from the world forever. Vaccines and testing are the way to counter the pandemic and treat the virus as endemic instead.
In S’pore, there have been signs that the authorities do acknowledge this. They are adjusting their messaging to move to a world where we have to live with the virus as it will never be totally eradicated. New ways have to be used to balance safety and economic viability.
With more easily available testing, quarantine periods can be slowly reduced. Recently, the 21 days required had been reduced back to 14 days. More tests during this period (up to 3 times) will also help to sustain a tolerable level of risk monitoring in spotting positive cases. We probably can reduce it to 7 days soon. With more countries achieving herd immunity, the quarantine process could eventually be unnecessary.
The ongoing Phuket Sandbox experiment will give us more data and confidence on how to open successfully and could even encourage more people to get vaccinated. It offers hope that a modified way of going back to a more normal way is possible.
I still have some friends who refuse to take the vaccine for themselves and their kids. They fear long term issues and question the safety of the new mRNA technology and prefer to adopt a wait and see attitude. As more get vaccinated and we reach the goal of herd immunity, the risk for this group will also correspondingly increase. Without any protection against the virus or its variants, they will be exposed to the worst effects of Covid19.
I think that the decision to not take the vaccine is really not worth the above risk/reward calculation. Looking to stay alive now is better than worrying about the future side effects as more than a billion shots have already been given out. The vaccines have also shown successes in preventing hospitalization or death when the vaccinated are infected. Why wait when you can get one while most of the world is still scrambling to find enough vaccines for their population?
We had a first-ever neighbours dinner last Sat that went well as we got to know them better after living side by side for many years. It was a way to also thank them for helping us paint some parts of our place as they were doing major renovation works at the same time. Their kids were around the same age as ours too and so it was good for them to get to know each other better.
My Data Science exams ended on Mon and the last module on AI Practitioner started on Thurs. This will be the final 2 months of my IBM course. I will be planning my next lifelong learning adventure soon by applying for a banking-related internship on similar tech initiatives. If the application is successful, it will start in Dec for 12 to 18 months.
https://www.ibf.org.sg/programmes/Pages/TFIP.aspx
Finally, I had a wonderful dinner last night with a group of good friends from uni days whom I have known for more than 30+ years. We had too much sake and good food while reminiscing on old times again.
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