The outbreak of coronavirus all around the world has proved to be devasting in health, lives, and jobs as the economy of the world are going down day by day due to the lockdown situation. Even then, to keep the spirits high of people some of the health workers and doctors have shared their inspiring stories from all over the world, while businesses are providing vital resources and support to the families and communities of daily wagers.
To overcome the crisis will require effort however it is essential to take actions that essential to fight against corona let it be information or resources. For the sustainable recovery of Pakistan, the three steps that are important to take are
- Promoting authoritative and reliable information;
- Supporting education and learning; and
- Contributing to business continuity and economic recovery
Promoting authoritative and reliable information sources
People need to have healthcare steps so they can protect themselves and take the right decision in the COVID-19 days. There must be the latest updates and health advice from international health authorities across Search, Maps, and YouTube in Urdu and English. People must be aware of hygiene and must step up for any misinformation on google related to pandemic.
Google will have its website related to COVID-19 education, prevention, and resources. It will provide information related to the best practice of avoiding viruses and links of authoritative information from the government of Pakistan. The website is rolling out today and will be continually enhanced and updated with more resources.
Supporting education and learning
Due to lockdown, around 60 million students are out of school that is putting families under pressure as well as schools and teachers.
To help teachers get the support they need to teach remotely, we’ve made tools like Hangouts Meet and Google Classroom available for free, provided training and tips through both Google and YouTube, and launched Teach from Home with UNESCO as a central hub for teachers around the world.
The step will help students to continue their education and learning at home even if the schools are closed. And ones they reopen students will be ahead of their curriculum.
Contributing to business continuity and economic recovery
The hardest that has been hit by the outbreak of coronavirus include small businesses and retailers. Global businesses must take responsibility to help them stand during the economic crisis and lead them towards recovery. Through remote working sites, it would enable people to work, teach and learn from anywhere in the world.
Small businesses are the heart of our economy and communities and, from small retailers to restaurants, they’ve been hit hardest by the outbreak. Global businesses like Google have a responsibility to help them withstand the economic impact and lead the way in the recovery.
Google has also announced $800 million commitment to supporting small businesses all over the world with access to finance, ad credits, and grants to help meet the costs of the virus.
While the efforts made by Google has been focused on health and support communities, however, it is important to take long term steps. For Pakistan to move beyond COVID-19, we have to lay foundations today: helping businesses not just to adapt in extraordinary circumstances, but to rebuild and create economic growth and jobs as we move into the recovery phase.
Upholding our responsibility
COVID-19 puts intense demands on us all, and we’re determined to uphold our responsibility in this unprecedented time: to enable access to trusted information, support remote learning, back small businesses, and more. The initiatives we’ve shared today are the start. We’re standing with Pakistan to do all we can to help as we overcome COVID-19 and shape a stronger future.
