COVID-19 – Quick Look
With the specter of a new COVID-19 causing renewed concern over logistics, we put together a set of charts showing the new COVID-19 infection rate (per 1m persons) in a number of countries that are key to the consumer electronics space. We were surprised at the marked differences between just these few countries, although we remain quite suspect about the data from China, which at 18.3% of the global population, would likely be just a bit closer to the global average of 89 new cases/day/mil. At 0.066 new COVID-19 cases/mil, they are either doing a fantastic job at containing the virus or have been under reporting since the disease’s onset. Not that we have any special insight there, but based on the country’s lack of media transparency, we lean to the latter, to say the least.
What started this COVID-19 recheck was the implementation of strengthened quarantine guidelines by the government of South Korea, where the new case rate has exceeded all-time highs. This prompted Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) to further restrict overseas travel, suspend indoor and outdoor sports, including in-house fitness programs, limit private gatherings, and ban drinking parties known as Hoesik, an integral part of socialization in Korean business culture. Business travel was restricted to ‘managementally essential’ trips and all travel to the nine countries where the Omicron variant first occurred was banned completely, while the ratio of work-at-home time was raised from 30% to 40%+, with only those fully vaccinated being able to attend meetings, events, or training sessions, including visitors to the company.
What started this COVID-19 recheck was the implementation of strengthened quarantine guidelines by the government of South Korea, where the new case rate has exceeded all-time highs. This prompted Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) to further restrict overseas travel, suspend indoor and outdoor sports, including in-house fitness programs, limit private gatherings, and ban drinking parties known as Hoesik, an integral part of socialization in Korean business culture. Business travel was restricted to ‘managementally essential’ trips and all travel to the nine countries where the Omicron variant first occurred was banned completely, while the ratio of work-at-home time was raised from 30% to 40%+, with only those fully vaccinated being able to attend meetings, events, or training sessions, including visitors to the company.
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