Technology has enabled Asia’s response to COVID-19, both in terms of lives and livelihoods. On the health side, technology has allowed Asia to stand up healthcare capacity in record time, whether it’s vaccine development or hospitals. It’s of course enabled a seamless tracking, tracing and testing cycle and mass communication to millions, if not billions, of people to help them know when and where it’s safe to go.
As far as livelihoods goes, technology has preserved the jobs, whether it’s digitizing products and services, enabling a work-from-home culture or a safeguarding and redeploying labor, technology has made the difference. All of this of course is built on a foundation of investment in hardware, a digitally-enabled population, and a strong track record of public-private collaboration: Important lessons for the rest of the world.
