Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

We bring together some of the core issues for the renewal of people, topics which can be considered in terms of Reconciliation, Reparation and/or Repair depending on the degree of harm caused.

Follow the source link below to TMB Issue 24 to read this case study in full (p.23-25).

In the USA, Black Communities are amongst some of the hardest finically hit communities as a result of the economic fallout from COVID-19. Recovery to date has shown to neglect women, Latino and Black Americans. Similar patterns are seen globally, with marginalised and already vulnerable groups being hit the hardest economically. Like many countries, this is a result of pervasive existing inequalities in access to income, assets, health, education, formal employment, equal opportunity, social protection, internet and public services. Consider:

• Explicitly acknowledging the heightened economic vulnerabilities of specific socioeconomic groups - and address these with targeted measures
• How to encourage broad public participation and collective action in government planning and response to effectively address existing inequalities and the needs of vulnerable populations as well as minimise elite capture and urban bias
• How policies should account for constraints faced by specific marginalized groups in terms of economic recovery such as job precarity, lack of education, low wages
• That economic recovery programmes that do not address these inequalities run the risk of reinforcing and deepening inequalities into the future which can burden economies and health systems
• Assessing funding proposals for their impact on different societal groups

Research has shown that disasters impact men and women differently. While COVID-19 has been shown to disproportionately affect men physically, women are more likely to be adversely impacted by disasters generally, and more likely to be failed by recovery efforts that do not meet their needs. Consider how to develop gender-inclusive disaster recovery that considers impacts of COVID-19:

• Tackle the drivers of gender inequalities in areas such as access to healthcare and economic recovery e.g. impacts of COVID-19 on low paid precarious work, health risks to care workers
• Include multi-stakeholder processes that ensure women's rights organisations are included in designing national response and recovery measures - this should also include groups representing vulnerable or marginalised women
• Assess bid for new funding using an additional criteria of impact on gender responsiveness
• Increase funding and capacity development for local and national women's groups; including for action against gender-based violence which saw a global increase during the pandemic
• Strengthen COVID-19/disaster responses to address women's leadership roles, not only their vulnerability to the virus
• Examine the availability of gender-responsive health services and vital sexual and reproductive health needs at local level
• Consider communications designed for women, to reach women. Women and girls may be less likely to receive and contribute to accurate COVID-19 information due to patriarchal norms/structures
• Include the voices and rights of trans women in response and recovery so they are equally involved in determining needs

Computers and other digital devices are increasingly being used to teach children, and as part of children's education into today's digital economy. However, research shows that technology's impact on student learning has remained limited, partly because the rapid adoption of technology has not been accompanied by appropriate training of teachers. COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of digital technologies. It is important that teachers have the capacity and capabilities to use emerging and new technologies, and to impart these skills onto students as they will be required to navigate and work in a digital world. Consider:

• How to develop partnerships between schools and the technology industry to help teachers develop the skills they need to educate children effectively
• How to offer and encourage teachers to undertake additional qualifications to support the curriculum e.g. Fujitsu's Certificate of Digital Excellence (CoDE) which is a free, online learning experience for teachers, which helps educate them on topics such as Artificial Intelligence, cyber Virtual Reality, Big Data and Programming and Robotics. Each of these has been recognised as a technology or skill needed by the next generation to help with their future careers

Guest briefing by Dr. Su Anson and Dr. Katrina Petersen, Trilateral Research and Inspector Sue Swift, Lancashire Constabulary, prompts thinking on risk communication approaches in the context of COVID-19 and how the public can be active agents in their own response. The authors focus on: Identifying goals and outcomes; developing the message; channels for two-way engagement; and evaluating communications effectiveness.

Follow the source link below to TMB Issue 22 to read this briefing in full (p.2-7)

The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of protecting biodiversity to prevent future zoonosis outbreaks. Communities, especially indigenous communities have been shown to consistently outperform governments as the most effective custodians of nature, and offer the knowledge and expertise to mitigate climate and biodiversity crises. However, research in 42 countries found that while many countries recognise the rights of indigenous and local peoples, they have not implemented laws to secure and protect those rights and ensure territory is not used in a dangerous way. Consider how to best work with local communities to support the protection of green spaces by:

• Committing to legal processes that secure the rights of indigenous people and the protection of green spaces
• Investing in the countries and communities that are ready to scale up land rights to affordably and effectively protect ecosystems and biodiversity e.g. mitigating deforestation and coastal erosion, and supporting sustainable fishing
• Reduce poverty and exclusion through improved land rights and access to green spaces, to help build resilient societies and secure livelihoods which can mitigate compounding inequities exacerbated by COVID-19
• Scaling up attempts to secure land rights in territories that have yet to be recognised by states

Research into MNCH demonstrates that early-life determinants of health help create more resilient societies. Previous trends indicate that socioeconomic shocks lead to an increase in markers of poor MNCH including low birthweight, maternal and infant malnutrition, and maternal drug or alcohol misuse etc. These factors can have impacts across a person's life and effects the next generation. At particular risk are people from Black, Asian, or minority ethnicities who are more likely to be socio-economically disadvantaged, and at higher risk of pre-existing health conditions, contracting COVID-19, and having poor markers of MNCH. Consider:

• Research and data collection to monitor the immediate and longer-term effect of COVID-19 and related socioeconomic crisis on MNCH, using routine data collection systems and reinstating systems that have been suspended during COVID-19 e.g.:
  • the short, medium, and longer-term consequences of COVID-19 on neurocognitive development in children
  • disruptions as a result of COVID-19 e.g. on food insecurity, access to health services and impacts on MNCH
• Investment of resources into promotion of early-childhood health and development, including the training and provision of community health workers
• Promotion of MNCH care as an essential service and human right, including investment to access to contraception/reproductive health services, antenatal/postnatal care, and child health etc
• Strengthen community-based interventions to promote MNCH, such as home visits during and after pregnancy and in the early years
• Develop new policies to drive gender equity and reduce the penalties of motherhood e.g. parental leave for each parent on a use it or lose it basis

There is much concern about the combination of coronavirus with winter flu and the effects on transmission rates and a recent report outlines concerns and plans. It recommends to plan for coronavirus during winter months by:

• Analysing current COVID-19 data to develop prevention and mitigation strategies for winter, considering the rise in other illnesses during colder weather
• Considering how mitigation strategies should protect, and pose no further disadvantages to high risk patients or communities
• Engaging with patients, carers, public and healthcare professionals with enhanced coordination, collaboration and data sharing between central and local initiatives

It also suggests considering:

• Minimising community SARS-CoV-2 transmission and impact through:
  • developing effective policies to maximise population engagement in essential control measures e.g. participation in test, trace and isolate (TTI)
  • extensive autumn public information campaigns co-produced by communities and professional organisations
  • guidance for commercial, public and domestic properties on temperature, humidity and ventilation to reduce virus transmission indoors
  • consideration of those most vulnerable to COVID-19 who are least able to heat their homes adequately in winter
• Maximise infection control and ensure that COVID-19 and routine care can take place in parallel by:
  • prioritising system-wide infection prevention and control measures
  • o providing training to use personal protective equipment (PPE) and other infection prevention and control measures
  • maximising remote consultations for hospital and community care
  • testing and quarantining patients being discharged into the community or care
  • prioritising the backlog of clinical care by clinical need, not waiting times
• Improving public health surveillance for COVID-19, influenza and other winter diseases through:
  • comprehensive, population-wide, near-real-time, health surveillance systems
  • conducting large-scale population surveys comparable data collected from hospitals and the community
  • overseeing and coordinating data centrally
• Minimise influenza transmission and impact by maximising influenza vaccination uptake

COVID-19 has meant organisations have had to rapidly innovate online. This has required them to embrace some unfamiliar digital tools. Those with a relative lack of skill or confidence in this unplanned digital transformation, are at heightened risk from cybercrime. Consider actions:

• That determine an organisations’ confidence:
  • Gather information on the digital skills and confidence in businesses, and what they need to improve these
  • Raise awareness of the risks of cybercrime
  • Provide appropriate support to businesses as they innovate online
• That organisations should implement now:
  • Secure remote access/ collaboration services
  • Increase anti-phishing measures
  • Address business continuity
  • Establish a culture of cyber hygiene by resourcing and managing/monitoring assets
• That organisations should implement soon:
  • Understand your security and the effectiveness of controls
  • Put security actions into all decision making
  • Secure users’ confidence, and data, protect your brand
  • Prioritise security in budget allocations
• That organisations should implement in the future (12 months):
  • Think longer term about security of processes and architectures
  • Prioritise, adopt and accelerate the execution of strict access control and security through virtual network functions
  • Automate to improve security of users, devices and data

Inclusive recovery practices are essential as additional groups of vulnerable people emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside data on the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable and marginalised people. In particular, people living with visible and invisible disabilities have been adversely impacted by the virus due to challenges in accessing health services, and because they are at greater risk of experiencing complex health needs, worse health outcomes, and stigma[1].

While disability alone may not be related to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, some people with disabilities might be at a higher risk of infection or severe illness because of their underlying medical conditions[2]. In particular, “adults with disabilities are three times more likely than adults without disabilities to have heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer than adults without disabilities”2. In the UK, working-age women with a disability are more than 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than women without a disability, and for men, the death rate was 6.5 times higher than for men without a disability[3].

Health-care staff should be provided with rapid awareness training on the rights and diverse needs of people living with disabilities to maintain their dignity, safeguard against discrimination, and prevent inequities in care provision[4]. Advice on how to do this is extremely important. In the UK, guidance on how to safely care for people with disabilities is provided to protect carers and the person they are caring for, and includes consideration of[5]:

• Protecting yourself and the person you care for e.g. appropriate use of PPE in specific settings
• Supporting the person you care for through change e.g. providing accessible information
• Maintaining the health and wellbeing of carers

In recovery, some people with disabilities may have restricted access to social networks, systems that provide support, job security, consistency of income, education – aspects that others may take for granted. “The more a person is excluded, the more challenging the recovery, and persons with disabilities often fall in this category.”[6] Recovery from COVID-19 must therefore reflect disability-inclusive strategies to provide action-oriented directions for government officials and decision makers responsible for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

The Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Recovery Guidance Note[7] developed by the World Bank / Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) aims to accelerate global action to address the needs of persons with disabilities. Overall, the World Bank and GFDRR estimate that a quicker and more inclusive recovery could reduce losses to well-being by $65 billion a year[8].

Disability-inclusive recovery is about including people with disabilities in recovery planning and enabling equal opportunities through the removal of barriers. This can be done by gathering baseline disability data and incorporating it into needs assessments, by mainstreaming disability inclusion in recovery programmes, and by recommending specific interventions. There are four essential steps to support inclusive risk planning:[9]

• Collect data on barriers and accessibility improvements to understand and assess disability inclusion in recovery and reconstruction
• Adopt appropriate disability legislation to support a disability-inclusive recovery process that will prioritize needs and allocate resources. New policies should be in alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to guide disability-inclusive recovery and reconstruction
• Establish institutional mechanisms to ensure the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in the planning and designing of recovery and reconstruction processes. Also identify and designate an agency with responsibility for coordinating and overseeing disability affairs in recovery and reconstruction. Additionally, ensure standards for disability inclusion in recovery are established and communicated
• Target households and groups that have limited ability to self-recover, including households with persons with disabilities, to receive financial support and other interventions. Set standards for disability inclusion in budgeting and procurement quickly and ensure they are applied across the recovery and reconstruction process. Also require full consideration of accessibility, including the principles of universal design, as a condition of financial contributions and assistance by all involved in recovery.

Disability-inclusive recovery can help reduce poor representation of people living with disabilities in post-disaster recovery efforts. This provides an opportunity to build a more accessible environment that is inclusive and resilient to future disasters, and to reduce the disproportionate risks faced by people living with disabilities by[10]:

• Making infrastructure resilient and accessible (barrier-free buildings and land use planning)
• Setting up programs to actively employ persons with disabilities, such as hiring them in the recovery and reconstruction planning and implementation process
• Making healthcare and education readily available and ensuring healthcare is accessible to persons with disabilities before and after a disaster
• Communicating hazard exposure and risk information in a way that can be understood and acted upon (for example, sign language interpretation and plain language)
• Improved accessibility before and after a disaster also benefits older people, those who are ill or have been injured, pregnant women, and some indigenous and non-native language speakers

Recovery is often tumultuous and traumatic, but it is also an opportunity to renew systems and processes by understanding and addressing unequal practices and structures. By making disability inclusion a priority in the recovery agenda, we can ensure more self-sufficient, inclusive, and resilient societies for all.

[1] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30076-1/fulltext

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-increased-risk.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fneed-extra-precautions%2Fpeople-at-higher-risk.html

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53221435

[4] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30076-1/fulltext

[5] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-supporting-adults-with-learning-disabilities-and-autistic-adults

[6] https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/ensuring-equitable-recovery-disability-inclusion-post-disaster-planning

[7] http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/559111587448620405/pdf/Disability-Inclusive-Disaster-Recovery-Guidance-Note.pdf

[8] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30076-1/fulltext

[9] https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/ensuring-equitable-recovery-disability-inclusion-post-disaster-planning

[10] https://blogs.worldbank.org/sustainablecities/ensuring-equitable-recovery-disability-inclusion-post-disaster-planning

To read this case study in its original format follow the source link below to TMB Issue 19 (p.15-16).

There is research being done on most conceivable topics related to COVID-19. Many projects are looking to expand the range of governments, cities, organisations and individuals that will get involved in the project to contribute information into the project and provide a testbed for their work. Participation may enable you to influence the project towards your priorities, get early access to project findings that could change the ways you deliver, get funding to support your involvement, and provide access to a wider network that can help you in your job. Consider whether to:

• Identify what knowledge gaps you have in your organisation that research could usefully help to fill
• Identify the information that you can feed into projects and other contributions you can make to a project
• Approach local universities and research institutes to partner on research or mutual interest
• Talk to national bodies on what research they have funded
• Contact national and overseas researchers to request participation and/or early notice of their emerging findings
• Joining research webinars, research network email-lists, and research observatories to receive notification of project results
• Join advisory boards of projects to direct their focus
• Search databases of funded projects to find those that align with your interests

Many countries face multiple risks from COVID-19 and natural hazards. To combat these dual challenges consider how to:

• Integrate climate change into green recovery plans post COVID-19
• Use COVID-19 as an entry point to engage communities in preparing for other diseases that may be brought about by climate change
• Engage the local community in designing local preparedness and response plans e.g. to address COVID-related food insecurity, distribution of PPE, local finance solutions that meet the communities needs

In many countries, myths around the origin, transmission and even existence of COVID-19 are rife. In Argentina, public health experts have successfully worked with the Catholic Church to go door-to-door at the community level to dispel inaccuracies about the virus. This included working to reduce people's fears over providing information for contact tracing. The Church has also provided their buildings to house vulnerable people unable to isolate due to crowded living conditions in slums. Consider:

• The strength of message that local voices can add to public communications about behavioural changes to tackle COVID-19
• Coordination between government officials and faith-based/civil society organisations to ensure the most vulnerable are able to register for COVID-19 support and information
• Using local religious buildings to assist gathering or disseminating COVID-19 information in the community as these are well-known
• The role of faith-based/civil society organisations in disseminating information in multiple languages, or to those without access to the internet or regular news updates
• How working with faith-based/civil society organisations increases localised access to populations affected by directly and indirectly by COVID-19 - socially those who may not be integrated into the system e.g. the homeless

Reference: Public Health expert, Argentina

Self-isolation, and limited access to school, has driven more children online during the pandemic. Spending more time on virtual platforms can leave children vulnerable to online sexual exploitation by predators (see also The Manchester Briefing Week 14). Increased and unstructured time online, alongside limited face-to-face contact with friends or partners, can lead to heightened risk-taking such as: sending sexualized images, exposure to potentially harmful content, and cyberbullying. Consider:

• Some children may be more vulnerable than others (e.g. those with learning disabilities) and may need specific types of support and training for them and their guardians
• Retaining access to child services and keeping guardians informed of where to find online safety information for themselves and for young people (e.g. antivirus software, parental controls on devices)
• Information for guardians on talking with young people about who they communicate with online
• Training health, education and social service workers on the impacts that COVID-19 may have on increased online risks for young people
• Educational initiatives on cyber safety and to provide local helplines and hotlines for adults and young people, including counselling
• Enhancing online safety measures, especially while using virtual learning tools
• Schools updating safeguarding policies to reflect the new realities for children learning online

Throughout the response to the pandemic, many private sector companies have offered donations, skills, knowledge and resources to support local and national efforts to tackle effects of the virus. Businesses have a considerable role to play in recovery and renewal as they continue to support their local communities, supply chains, staff, and wider stakeholders. Advice from the World Health Organization suggests to consider asking the private sector to:

• Protect against COVID-19 by:
  • Informing stakeholders on protecting staff and communities at work, protecting jobs and livelihoods, tackling mis-information
  • Protecting businesses through: business continuity plans, supply chain continuity, maintaining essential infrastructures and services, protecting jobs, acting responsibly towards suppliers
• Participate in the COVID-19 response by:
  • Producing essential supplies, repurposing production capabilities towards making essential supplies, providing in-kind contributions, making available supplies and services
  • Providing financial support to coordinated charity drives, supporting NGO and community needs

More information on each 'ask' is available in the WHO guide along with links to other resources and information.

Researchers believe that the main threat to the blood supply is not COVID-19 itself, but the unintended consequences of social distancing on blood donations. This has resulted in uncertain patterns of demand for blood and reductions in donations. Consider:

• Monitoring the supply and demand in hospital based and transfusion services so sufficient blood stocks are maintained to support ongoing critical needs e.g. for major trauma
• Mitigating (theoretical) transmission of COVID-19 from asymptomatic individuals e.g.:
  • Persons donating blood must inform donation centres if they develop a respiratory illness within 14 days of the donation
  • Persons should refrain from donating blood if they have travelled to areas with high community transmission
  • Persons who have recovered from diagnosed COVID-19 should not donate blood for 14 days after full recovery
• How to mitigate staff and donor exposure to COVID-19 through appropriate PPE and sanitation
• How to mitigate donor decline through clear, proactive and consistent communication strategies to address and overcome donor anxiety which often stem from misinformation
• Systems to enable re-entry of COVID-19 infected donors to donation centres after full recovery

More information from the WHO can be found here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone, especially in trying to adjust to new routines and living and working environments. This may be particularly true for children with autism and their parents, as children with autism have trouble adjusting to, coping with, and understanding change. To help with this, help parents to explain the current situation in clear and simple ways and can help children with autism to adjust to the 'new normal'. One way of doing this is to provide parents with access to materials that frame COVID-19 as a germ that can make people sick, so it is important to stay away from others and not touch things.

Advise parents to reiterate important rules to children with autism is also important to help them cope, such as:

• Washing hands well and often (for at least 20 seconds)
• Not touching their nose, mouth, and eyes
• Keeping at least 6 feet away from other people
• Wearing a cloth face covering or face mask in public places

Face coverings may be difficult for autistic children, some parents have had successes in attaching the ear loops on masks to their child's favourite hat with buttons to reduce sensitivity. Make authorities (such as transport providers, Police) aware of "Facemask Exemption Cards" that have been produced by organisations for parents to print out for those who cannot wear a mask. Local government can support parents of children with autism by working with respected specialist organisations to advise parents e.g. one encouraging mask wearing

• Demonstrate using the face mask on a preferred object or person, such as a stuffed animal, a doll, or a family member
• Allow the person to choose among different types of fabric face masks to find one that is most comfortable
• Start by practicing wearing the face mask for short durations of time, allowing for breaks when needed
• Plan initial outings in low-demand environments that are quiet and calm, so that the individual can experience success wearing the face mask
• Use a printed photo or digital photo of the individual wearing a face mask as a visual cue to wear the mask before outings

In addition to these changes, losing the daily routine that going school provides adds an additional layer of complexity for children with autism, and outs them at risk of not receiving the social care and support they require. While, some children may have found home schooling difficult, the time spent away from school may have resulted in the development of a new routine at home where they feel safe. As such, returning to school may cause anxiety and distress. Local government should inform teachers that some ways of reducing these anxieties include:

• Providing a visit to the school before it reopens if possible, to help children familiarise themselves with their environment and staff again
• Encouraging homes to introduce changes that are made in school at home e.g. explain social distancing measures, ask for photos of new classroom layouts to show children
• Asking parents for information about your child during COVID-19 so they have an understanding of their needs and how these may have changed due to COVID-19 restrictions

COVID-19 has also been a challenging time for parents of children with autism. One parent in the UK stated that support for them and their child had been reduced to occasional phone calls and they felt like they had been "left to struggle alone". They also stated that they were repeating the same or similar activities with their child from before lockdown and that it felt like their child's development had stalled. They stated that increased resources from their child's support worker such as a timetable of activities and development would have helped and made the experience of self-isolation and lockdown "less distressing".

Providing specialised phone lines and centralised hubs with resources for parents is vital, to ensure their well-being and that of their children, via reliable information and support. Local government can help employers to realise that parents also need to find ways to balance work and childcare responsibilities this can include:

• Arrange to work from home to ensure supervision, or childcare sharing arrangements with friends and family
• Prepare information about the child's support needs and successful learning and behaviour strategies for anyone caring for the child
• Develop an emergency contact list, and discuss it with friends and family. Include names and numbers of your personal autism support network, as well as medical providers
• Contact local organizations who may be able to offer support.
• Look through the child's medical records or evaluations related to autism as these may have recommendations on areas to focus on and can help you with making learning plans while schools are closed
• Reach out to others to maintain social support for the whole family e.g. social media, social media groups for autistic people and their families, and other virtual support groups that provide online resources for finding empathy and ideas while self-isolating or in lockdown

To read this case study in its original format (including references) follow the source link below to TMB Issue 16 (p.19-20).

Heat waves pose a particular risk to those already vulnerable to COVID-19 including the elderly (>65 years), and those with pre-existing health conditions (e.g. cardiovascular, pulmonary, kidney disease), and essential workers. COVID-19 and heat can put strains on health, and on surge capacity plans for hospitals to deal with concurrent risks. Additionally, people may expose themselves to other risks such as limiting social distancing measures to check in on older neighbours. Consider how to:

• Collaborate with formal and informal social service systems to identify and reach vulnerable individuals with information and support to protect them
• Increase the use of telephone outreach programmes for daily check-ins with the most vulnerable
• Increase enrolment of vulnerable people into check-ins and resources to run the system
• Review plans for in-home safety checks. Ensure the health and safety of staff, volunteers and the people they visit through training and the provision of PPE
• Identify high-risk communities by reviewing where local heat islands occur, and where this may overlap with high incidence or risk of COVID-19
• Assist efforts to review and expand social safety net programmes to support at-home cooling strategies for the most vulnerable e.g. utilise expanding energy subsidies to ensure households can afford home cooling measures

Further information on how to carry out public outreach on heatwaves during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here: http://climatecentre.org/downloads/files/HWG%20appendix%20Extreme%20Heat%20during%20the%20COVID-19%20pandemic.pdf

This lesson was contributed to by a Chief Resilience Officer in Colombia during project data collection.

Including gender-inclusive perspectives can address gender inequalities in health outcomes, the economy and wider society. For example, in the EU, women make up: 93% of child care workers; 86% of personal care workers in health services; and 95% of domestic cleaners (https://eige.europa.eu/covid-19-and-gender-equality/frontline-workers). This exposes women to the virus, heighten the potential of poverty and mental health issues as these jobs are undervalued, precarious, and underpaid. Women also bear an unequal burden in unpaid household labour which can undermine access to paid employment. There is a need to assess the implications of COVID-19 policies to ensure gendered experiences are recognised and addressed. Consider:

• The level of exposure of genders to COVID-19 due to gender segregation in the labour market
• The increased risks to occupational health and well-being of women in caring professions
• Increased consultation with, and inclusion of, women in decision-making during crises
• Working with community/religious leaders to promote caregiving/caretaking as everyone's responsibility
• How gender-balanced teams can provide treatment or support for mental health and well-being
• Innovating to mitigate other social issues such as gender based violence
• Offering guidance on domestic violence into existing services e.g. give volunteers, who provide other services, information on victim support
• Educating organisations about the heighten risk of gender based violence since COVID-19 so that they can be part of safeguarding women and girls

The UN reports that measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 are exposing victims of human trafficking to further exploitation and limiting their access to essential services. The restrictions on movements, diversion in law enforcement, and reduced public health and social services is impacting victims of human trafficking before, during and after their ordeal. Children are also at increased risk of exploitation as a result of being forced onto the streets to find food or work; and women are at risk of sexual exploitation. Consider how to:

• Protect those still at risk from abuse from captors through maintaining dedicated law enforcement departments and social workers for victims of human trafficking. Including the need for adequate PPE for these departments
• Provide safe housing for victims who have been rescued from captivity but are unable to return home due to travel restrictions
• Support those experiencing delays in legal proceedings, including regular updates on the status of their case
• Provide hotlines to emotional, financial, legal and safe housing advice
• Encourage communication between schools, law enforcement and social workers to identify, and check-up on, children at risk of exploitation
• Increase attention to tackling online child sexual exploitation. Travel restrictions have spawned an easy way to groom children, gain access to (or create) child sexual abuse material and establish "delivery" services
• Conduct evaluations into the impact of COVID-19 on resources for victims, law enforcement and justice systems to better understand needs of victims and gaps in provision

Data protection does not stop an organisation asking employees whether they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or introducing appropriate testing. Consider the following to ensure data protection compliance:

• Only collect and use information that is necessary to ensure the workplace is safe. Decide if the same result can be achieved without collecting personal information
• Only keep information temporarily or justify if a permanent record of information is needed
• Be clear, open and honest with staff about their personal information, how and why you need it, who you will share their information with, and for how long
• Treat people fairly and think carefully about any detriment or discrimination staff might suffer if the information is retained and shared
• Keep people's information secure and consider when personal information needs to be anonymised
• Enable staff to exercise their information rights, and discuss any concerns

Conduct a data protection impact assessment.

Clean energy can reduce negative health effects associated with using polluting fuels and the chances of respiratory diseases which negatively impact COVID-19 chances of survival. Consider:

• how to improve access to electricity through renewable energy
• providing electricity for water pumps for more reliable access to clean water in contexts where this is challenging
• incentivising renewable energy adoption at household level to help reduce the economic burden of utility bills which can have impacts on mental and physical wellbeing

The Circular Economy calls for all materials in manufacturing to be reused, recycled or biodegradable. COVID-19 has raised new questions about plastics use and sustainability of, for example, using single-use surgical gowns, masks and gloves. Consider:

• investing in new protective materials that are reusable or biodegradable and that replace harmful plastics
• the environmental friendliness of cleaning products that will end up in waterways and oceans
• the potential health implications of contamination

This lesson was contributed to by a Chief Resilience Officer in Denmark, and the source below.

The shock to global supply and demand resulting from COVID-19 has exacerbated workers' vulnerability to modern slavery. Consider supply chain management approaches that reduce the risks of worker exploitation by increasing firms' resilience to cope with highly volatile and extreme events, such as COVID 19. Consider:

• ensuring there is capacity to audit suppliers and their workforces to detect and remediate instances of labour exploitation
• how to maintain transparency in the supply chain so that risky supplier behaviour, such as unauthorised subcontracting, can be traced
• circumventing organisations with known malpractices in order to meet demand e.g. in the US, an import ban has been lifted to receive supply from a large Malaysian manufacturer of medical gloves accused of using forced labour
• liaising with support mechanisms for those at risk of modern slavery, such as faith and community organisations and helplines to monitor wellbeing
• collaborate with unions, NGOs, and other expert stakeholders to increase supply chain transparency and allow for a proactive detection on deteriorating working conditions

Lessons should be learned to assess the response and identify improvements. Some debriefs only collect 'obvious' comments as they give limited time to participants to co-create more sophisticated learning and critically appraise each other's comments. Some processes drown out informed people, and anonymity can encourage the sharing of extreme views that people would not normally offer or defend. On analysis, participants are not a homogenous group, but analysis may treat them as if they were, and results are generalised to 'how participants felt' which is inappropriate. To partly overcome some of these limitations, the process of debriefing may include five activities:

1. Surveys designed and interpreted with the above potential limitations in mind
2. Individual discussions with knowledgeable people to collect informed views, reasoning, and explore wider contexts
3. Analyse survey and individual views by respondent-type to identify themes for further analysis
4. Facilitated group discussions with knowledgeable people who build on each other's view to generate new understanding, and agree a final 'lessons learned' that accommodates competing perspectives
5. Facilitated action planning with knowledgeable people to agree an action plan to address the lessons

The WHO developed a risk communication and community engagement readiness checklist. It outlines six areas for consideration:

1. Risk communication systems e.g. Strengthen the surge capacity of communicators and community engagement expert
2. Internal partner coordination e.g. Assess the communication capacity of partners: identify typical audiences and communication channels
3. Public communication e.g. Review the roster of spokespeople at all levels; list their areas of expertise in COVID-19
4. Community engagement e.g. Establish methods for understanding the concerns, attitudes and beliefs of the community
5. Addressing uncertainty, perceptions and managing misinformation e.g. Establish dialogue in activities to systematically collect and provide answers to questions from the public
6. Capacity building e.g. Consider what training will be needed

Addressing the equality of food systems can help support their resilience. Consider:

• Improving the local economy and the food system simultaneously by growing locally, and employing the local population
• Urban farms for local food production e.g. utilising school gardens
• Engaging neighbourhood leaders to improve understanding of who needs assistance
• Improving sustainability e.g. drive through markets to keep markets open during lockdowns and avoid waste from spoilage, as well as giving smaller sellers security in selling produce
• Enabling community food parcels to be ordered in a similar way to ordering food deliveries
• Improving the food sector workers' protection to help prevent COVID-19 infection
• Keeping school cafeterias open for collection of meals for vulnerable children

Water Management can make safer and more sustainable communities, and due to COVID-19, communities already effected by water inequality could become even further disadvantaged. Points to consider when exploring water management during COVID-19:

• Improving access points to water in a way that avoids queues/crowds forming at water points
• Identifying how to avoid water points becoming breading hotspots for Covid-19
• How movement restrictions would impact on individuals' ability to attend a water point to access clean water, and how to overcome these impacts
• Improving water cleanliness to avoid secondary diseases and potential malnutrition from, for example, diarrhoea
• Improving the management of water supply, including strict water governance. For example:
  • Consider disruption of food supply from a lack of workforce
  • Prepare for potential dry season cropping by managing water reserves
  • Anticipate (so to mitigate) the effect of disasters (such as drought and famine)
  • Consider how to manage migration to aid camps where social distancing is more difficult
• Improving water recycling to reduce the release of untreated wastewater into the environment
• Education and facilitation to make communities more resilient to changes in the environment and future events such as Covid-19

The evacuation and shelter of people during a major emergency is a challenging task under normal conditions but, in the context of COVID-19, social restrictions, and potential to transmit the virus, it becomes even more complex. When planning for evacuation and shelter during COVID-19, consider:

• Provide more transport to comply with social distancing measures
• Rapidly expand shelter capacity, through building or identifying a greater number of current buildings for use as shelters, so as provide greater areas for social distancing
• Consider adapting industries to help prepare for a safer evacuation of populations away from high risk areas. For example, repurposing the garment industry to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for volunteers use in Bangladesh
• Separate suspected COVID-19 patients in specific separate shelters
• Reducing chances of person to person contact by introducing public announcements/mass communication tools such as community radio and electronic media
• Create operational systems which allow for autonomy so responders can work efficiently without constant contact with HQ's if they happen to be under different lockdown restrictions
• Combine early warning messages with Covid-19 warning messages

Globally, supply chains face challenges in responding to disruptions as a result of COVID-19. Consider:

• Contingency plans that adequately review project controls, risk management and governance processes to provide early warnings of risk impact e.g. a second wave of COVID-19, and the cost, time or contractual impacts of this
• How changes to demand, use and other consumer behaviours will place extra pressure on revenues
• How restrictions on people's movements impact productivity
• How alternative delivery methods and increased supply chain visibility can mitigate supply delays and expose key vulnerabilities
• How the use of advanced controls and technology can ensure more efficient use of resources and better decision-making
• Strategies for transparent communication with all stakeholders, including employees and every party along the supply chain. This can boost reputations, morale and trust among all stakeholders

COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerabilities of critical services and infrastructures. Electrical power systems have been severely affected by the pandemic, threatening not only their current functionality but also their longer-term resilience, reliability and sustainability. Consider:

• How to improve communication between core utility sectors such as water and energy sectors (including renewable energy). Often these sectors have been planned, operated and regulated in isolation which reduces overall resilience of the sector in an emergency
• How to ensure decarbonization of the electricity sector is adequately integrated into COVID-19 recovery strategies to support economic growth and jobs
• How to encourage a collective response from organizations and stakeholders across multiple sectors e.g. electricity generation, water management, finance and investment, agriculture etc to ensure the growth of low-carbon infrastructure to holistically address actions that reduce cascading climate risks

While disposable masks are necessary for keyworkers, promoting more environmentally friendly alternatives such as reusable masks and more frequent hand washing (opposed to disposable gloves) could be considered. Plastic pollution, already a threat to marine life and oceans has increased as a result of COVID-19 waste. Public campaigns to encourage the use of environmentally friendly alternatives and appropriate disposal could be considered.

Our partners, the Global Resilient Cities Network, discuss the challenges ahead for cities and local governments in addressing recovery; the strategic planning tools required in response; the importance of resilience and the phases of work involved in recovering from a crises like COVID-19. GRCN demonstrate the need to invest time and effort in learning from the successes and challenges to inform better preparedness for future challenges and to prevent the poorest and most vulnerable from being worst impacted again.

To read this briefing in full, follow the source link below (p.5-8).

COVID-19 has put a spotlight on wider socioeconomic and health inequalities and vulnerabilities which require long-term interventions. Social justice perspectives address creating fair and just relations between individuals and society through societal transformation to ensure the dignity and rights of people. A social justice perspective would support tackling a number of important inequalities highlighted globally during COVID-19 response and recovery. These include:

• Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people
• Increased risk to women from domestic violence within their homes
• Safety of LGBTQI+ community- safety at home for these communities may be more precarious as they're at a higher risk of homelessness (especially young people) and domestic abuse. Additionally, specific safe community spaces for LGBTQI+ communities have been lost, and access to healthcare can be difficult due to specific needs (this can be especially hard for trans people)
• Significant financial risk to those with precarious employment, which can lead to extreme poverty and homelessness
• Vulnerability of children as a result of any of the above issues - compounded by reduced safe spaces, such as schools, which also provide access to meals, pastoral care and resources e.g. internet and computers

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15)

Standards-making organisations have made freely available a range of standards which may be useful to tackling COVID-19. These cover topics such as:

• Humanitarian (ISO22395 vulnerable people, ISO22319 spontaneous volunteers)
• Economic (ISO22316 organizational resilience, ISO 22301 business continuity management systems)
• Infrastructure (ISO/TS 22318 supply chain continuity, CSA Z8002 infection control systems)
• Environment (BS 67000 city resilience)
• Communication (C63.27 evaluation of wireless co-existence)
• Governance and Legislation (ISO 22320 emergency management, ISO31000 risk management)
• Medical (ISO 10651 lung ventilators, EN14683 face masks)

Such bodies have also been taking various sources of government guidance and synthesising their messages into a single guide to support their members to understand how to follow those guidance (e.g. safe working, working in the new normal).

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

Across the world we witness how local governments have seized the initiative to incorporate new measures that have the potential to address climate change. Climate change is a crisis that precludes, has continued during and will be present after coronavirus. Many of the innovations in place are temporary but it is essential they are turned into permanent fixtures and extended upon. To follow leading practices consider:

Thinking creatively to reduce carbon emissions through transport infrastructure transformation:

• Widening pedestrian and cycle lanes
• Reducing car parking space and closing roads to cars
• Increasing tax rates for car drivers and creating a 'city in 15 minutes' where access to all essential services can be reached without using a car

Measuring and maintaining community benefits of carbon reductions:

• Understanding the job creation opportunities e.g. Copenhagen estimates that it will create 35,000 jobs with its transition to zero carbon emissions
• Identifying the immediate life-saving health benefits from moving to carbon neutral cities
• Realising the increase in emotional and physical health and wellbeing connected to less air and noise pollution

Changing approaches to work life:

• Remote working can be easily continued for many and is a key factor in reducing carbon emissions
• Investing in remote working platforms, promoting home working, increasing cycle to work schemes and reducing car parking at workplaces

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

Consider:

• That systems are not always focused on all the needs of people but rather on specific health conditions. Support for people and their overall health is vital rather than the restoration of specific services.
• That there will be challenges about aligning all the different health and care activities that are required in each place. Central government organisation may mean a lack of alignment at a place level depending on the department. For example, health systems, local resilience forums and environmental infrastructure are all different in England. We have learned that effective partnerships need to be developed 'bottom up' at place level, and many of these have worked well during COVID-19 response.
• Partnerships between organisations and between and in communities have worked well because of relaxation of information governance, financial constraints, central guidance and regulation. Careful consideration must be given to the extent to which these are reinstated and the timing of this.
• New processes that have been established during response, and the extent to which they can and should be continued. IN particular, remote consultations between health care providers, both in hospital and primary care, currently comprise the vast majority of interaction. Reverting to the pre-COVID method of primarily face to face will have both positive and negative consequences, which will differ across society. Careful thought needs to be given to the equality impact of retaining these changes.
• The power of each part of the health system - including that of the large health service providers (hospitals) but also the power of the people who live in each place. The longer-term consequences of e.g. establishing COVID-free (cold) hospital sties must be considered from a population perspective.

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

I have noted how meetings have struggled to identify shared and comfortable language to describe recovery. The TMB team have defined two terms - Recovery and Renewal:

Recovery can be dealt with through Local Authority led Recovery Coordination Groups, and be:

• A relatively short-term process that involves reinstating normal operations, learning from response, and preparing resilience for the next emergency
• Focused on positive transactional activities to address exposed fragilities and identify wider opportunities
• Relatively fast-paced but this will depend on ongoing demands, outbreaks, backlogs, fatigue, supply difficulties
• Involving a review of operations so organisations will decide what they want to reinstate and what they don't see value in reinstating

Renewal is an ambitious focus on what the future should be like and how to achieve that, and be:

• A relatively medium/long-term process that involves appreciating what has happened, and develop renewal plans to implement
• Considering issues beyond Recovery which are transformational so include a complex web of strategic actions across social, political/democratic, and developmental issues
• Ambitious and address future opportunities for the local government such those in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
• Developed by wide multiple relationships and broader partnerships - initially through a Renewal Summit to agree joint focus

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

The local context is extremely important. The economic impacts of COVID-19 will play out locally in different ways. Consider:

• Engaging with local businesses and stakeholders regularly to understand the needs and concerns particular to the area and to inform local government's funding agenda
• Identifying projects which can be fast tracked, or are of particular concern to the local economy and need immediate funding
• Mapping of specific local industries that have been hit hard by impacts of COVID-19 such as tourism, or certain types of manufacturing as these will need attention to avoid long-term, potentially generational impacts of economic decline
• Capacity mapping of skills to develop programmes to upskill and train people in priority employment sectors - this may be industries such as construction
• How to support Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs represent around 80-90% of business in many national economies and are deeply integrated in local communities economically and socially. They provide spaces for innovation, competition and are an essential source of employment

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning ffrom the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15)

No-one has been un-touched by Covid-19. It has brought vulnerability and the perception of risk to each of our doorsteps and is making an entire nation think about how we behave against the COVID-19 risk. The public have been taught about risk over the weeks by constant use of risk principles such as transmission rate, R, personal protection, their own personal vulnerability. This emphasises the need to lower risk through shielding, social distancing, hand washing, and self-isolation.

One major response to this risk is the public's willingness to volunteer - both through officially directed activities and through mutual aid activities. The public know their effort is essential to reduce the risk of those who are intensely vulnerable - however, they may not realise that their action is creating resilience in our society. Now, we all know that small groups of people can change the world and can build resilience when we need it.

Consider:

• That there is currently an opportunity to talk more about this wide-scale risk - before people become more disillusioned and fatigued with COVID-19
• How to enhance the public's understanding of risk by simple messages which are easily understood and not nuanced
• How to educate the public on risk and resilience
• How mass volunteering builds resilience
• How this new expression of volunteering social capital has created opportunities to:
  • strengthen resilient and society
  • change the relationship between crisis responders and volunteers
• How to convert the experiences of children and young person into a legacy about prevention, preparedness and social responsibility learning

It is possible that the general public's understanding of risk and resilience is greater than ever before - let's capitalise on that

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15)

These concerns relate to opening infrastructure and maintaining infrastructure.

Opening infrastructure

• Schools - the reopening of schools is a hugely complex issue that requires consideration of health and safety, staffing, finances, building capacity and facilities. Reopening schools also has socioeconomic implications related to rights to education, safeguarding children, feasibility of adults to work and the economic impacts of this
• Public transport - reopening public transport services, increasing service capacity, and public trust in transport use is vital to keep cities and regions moving. Ensuring safe and sustainable mobility support local economies and the environment

Maintaining infrastructure

• Supply chains - special attention should be paid to the flexibility and resilience of supply chains as supply chain failures can have devastating impacts on capacity to respond and recover. Supply chains should be prepared for a second wave of the pandemic; critical and alternative suppliers should be identified so supply chains can be modified
• Internet access and cyber security - ensuring safe and secure connection and reliable internet access is crucial in keeping people, government and economies running. It also forms an important role in safe and trustworthy risk communication at all levels of society

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

Despite contextual and narrative differences for recovery and renewal globally, common opportunities and challenges have emerged.

Opportunities to consider:

Volunteers

• Utilise and nurture the wave of volunteerism, solidarity, altruism and philanthropy that has arisen
• Implement mechanisms to effectively manage these contributions to provide core services when the system is overwhelmed

Challenges to consider:

Emotional health and wellbeing

• There have been wide-ranging effects on populations' mental health and well-being. Impacts are greater on certain populations and those pre-existing conditions
• The long-term consequences of COVID-19 on mental health are expected to reach an unprecedented scale
• Mental health services suffer from underfunding and limited resources - significant attention is needed to meet long-term demand and scale of need

Continuity of support for vulnerable people

• Continuity of support in both health and social care is vital to mitigate compounding vulnerabilities. This should account for those in the system pre-COVID-19 and those who may have become newly vulnerable as a result of poor physical or mental health, financial difficulties or social vulnerabilities

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15)

I have identified that some of the global responses to these challenges provide potential for renewed communication strategies. To realise renewed crisis communication strategies that engage the public, local authorities should consider:

Techniques to counter disinformation

• Recognising bot generated information on social media and fact-checking claims

Working with communities on communication campaigns

• Encouraging institutions in the local community to transmit key messages
• Increase community engagement and public enrolment in crisis governance

Reflecting community diversity in communications

• Ensuring the needs of all members of the public are addressed in communication strategies
• Producing messages in different languages, addressing different age groups and attuning communications to different abilities

Using multiple media

• Using various media platforms from advertising surfaces to mass text messaging and public artwork

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

This includes integrating qualitative and holistic decision-making strategies and techniques. Key areas to consider:

• Be vision-oriented. Construct an agreed picture of the new system after recovery and align response and recovery decisions to achieve this vision. Consider the consequences of short-term decisions on achieving the vision
• Identify the theme/criteria that can help to achieve the vision and create manageable work packages and sub-packages
• Engage communities in the decision-making process. Utilise communities are sources of information and knowledge
• Consider intuition as a source of information and innovation. Harness expert and local knowledge to generate diverse action scenarios
• Agree on relevant ethical values. Identify and include the ethical values in the decision evaluation process to ensure coherence and feasibility
• Mitigate bias. Engage a wide range of stakeholders in the decision-making process and encourage in-depth discussion

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning from the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

Local government will address five tracks of major activities running simultaneously and demanding resources:

• Track 1: Response - provide crisis response functions to first, and subsequent, waves of COVID-19 and to other emergencies. Also, the effect of COVID-19 on response e.g. social distancing on evacuation/sheltering and event management
• Track 2: Recovery - develop plans to reinstate operations, learn from response, and prepare for the next emergency
• Track 3: Renewal - hold a Renewal Summit to align strategic leaders on transformational opportunities of COVID-19 and link to positive initiatives (not the negativity of COVID-19)
• Track 4: Brexit - review plans for no-deal exit (Operation Yellowhammer), and for an orderly exit - considering implications for local authorities
• Track 5: Recession - monitor implications of recession on operations/finances of local government, organisations in local area, employment, household finances, etc

The five tracks will individually and in combination put pressure on local government

TMB Issue 10 brings together the reflections of our learning ffrom the first 10 weeks of gathering lessons on recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Follow the source link below to read all of the reflections from our team (p.9-15).

Consider:

• Ensuring equality of access to internet through roll out of fibre-optic cables for internet - evenly distributed throughout areas
• Supporting housing by restricting use of new housing for 'land banking' where property is bought as investment rather than as primary residence

Spontaneous supply chains (SSC) emerge during a crisis to meet unmet demand. They may fill a gap locally or nationally i.e. transformation in manufacturing and production. In the USA, Amish communities have shifted their production from woodwork and carpentry organised by men, to the production of facemasks by women. Women were sewing up to 50,000 face masks per day that met hospital sanctioned quality control. Consider:

• How SSC can be integrated into formal supply chains to ensure quality and efficiency
• How SSC can be integrated into local government efforts. Many SSCs are locally driven and so integration into existing local supply chains would increase their efficiency and effectiveness
• How to build firm-frim relations to support SSC integration e.g. building trust, developing contracts, designing management systems
• Opportunities for staying connected to local communities that have capacity to support

Consider opportunities to:

• Ensure public health measures (testing, contact tracing, etc.) are underpinned by action guaranteeing livelihoods and food security
• Facilitate collaboration between local governments, utility providers, and community groups to ensure affordable access to water and sanitation for all
• Raise awareness and behaviour change in informal settlements and slums through participation and community ownership of initiative
• Advocate for measures to reduce the burden of rent and mortgages, provide temporary shelter for the homeless, and repurpose buildings to isolate those infected
• Support local governments to manage safe urban mobility and transport, with a focus on those serving communities in informal settlements, while observing any movement restrictions

Degraded habitats can encourage faster evolutionary processes and disease diversification, because pathogens spread more easily. Consider:

• The risk of developing into habitats into largely undisturbed places where viruses are transmitted more easily
• Conservation of natural barriers between virus host animals-in which the virus is naturally circulating-and people
• Controlling markets that sell live animals where possible. In countries that rely on markets due to older infrastructure (e.g. no refrigeration), focus on the provision of health care and education on the safety of eating certain species
• Develop ties with local communities to address behaviours around conservation, disease and wild animal consumption
• Communicate the risks of pathogens and disease to hunters, loggers, market traders and consumers

There are lessons to learn from the 'stay at home' policies in relation to inequalities and vulnerabilities. Safe and adequate housing is a central facet of a population's wellbeing and health. Housing for recovery and renewal would benefit from framing as pivotal 'infrastructures of care' for surviving in the present and for reimaging the future. Consider how to create:

• Better living conditions for migrants and people in temporary housing as they are particularly vulnerable. Those living in temporary dwellings have often experienced conflict, disaster and economic hardship
• Comfortable housing at a time when staying at home is pivotal. Ensure additional support is provided to those renting and the homeless to mitigate evictions, overcrowding, unaffordability, and substandard conditions
• Improved urban resilience and physical and mental health through housing. In most cities, mental and physical illness and premature death are disproportionally concentrated in poor communities and ethnic minorities
• More energy efficient low-carbon, innovative and sustainable housing
• More equal financial mechanisms and markets for land and housing that recognises the interdependencies between housing production, land, infrastructure and labour markets
• Avoidances of potential pitfalls of rapid urbanisation which can exacerbate inequalities, segregation, resource depletion, ecological crisis, displacement and migration