Question - to what extent will changed behaviours become the new norm post-Covid 19:
- far less business travel
- increased use of video conferencing
- more work from home
- video doctor/nurse consultations
- rapid increase in on-line food and consumable shopping/delivery
- personal stockpiling of critical foods and medicines
- greater uptake of good sanitation practice (handwashing etc)
- etc etc
To some extent it depends on the length of the disruption - if only 2 weeks we will quickly revert to old habits, more than 3 months may embed new behaviours. Those of a certain age and above will remember the 3 day week in the 1970s - we generally produced as much in three days as we had in the previous 5 day week by (a) impoving efficiency and (b) avoiding pointless effort previously regarded as important!
And the implications:
- HS2 still required
- investment in road infrastructure reduced
- commuter routes no longer need upgrading
- reduced need for air travel and airport infrastructure (5th runway etc)
- priority for rollout of 5th generation mobile network
- spare capacity built into future NHS funding and resources
- supply chains changed to reduce reliance on imports - components and products
- ??????
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