ARA: The Asia Pacific Region Amidst COVID-19

As the world struggles to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, global travel has practically ground to a halt, impacting retail and travel related industries. Estimates by the United Nations point to the global economy slowing to under 2 per cent in 2020, costing some USD 1 trillion. There has not been any precedent with an equivalent scale of economic disruption in recent times to guide policymakers across the globe. The typical responses to this outbreak across the world thus far involve containment, social distancing, and economic support through fiscal and monetary measures to help cushion the financial fallout. The World Bank, for example, has set aside a USD 14 billion package to help companies and countries in their efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19.