In the last decade, a number of organizations have been rocked by unforeseen supply-chain vulnerabilities and disruptions, leading to recalls costing hundreds of millions of dollars in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and consumer goods to electronics and automotive. And multiple government organizations and private businesses have struggled with cybersecurity breaches, losing critical intellectual property due to failures in the supplier ecosystem.

The inescapable fact is we’ve become too accustomed to the idea of risk without considering the downsides, because we believe everything will work out just fine. The irony of a Hollywood industry that falls back on low-risk sequels while promoting storylines where protagonists shoot for the moon and never miss should perhaps be questioned a little more closely.

Australian Department of Health web site that deals with the COVID-19 outbreak. Provides daily statistics, recommendations and advice.

Coronacast is a podcast that helps to answer your questions about coronavirus or COVID19. We break down the latest news and research to help you understand how the world is living through an epidemic.

Dr. Jim Kennedy provides a detailed checklist of items that organizations need to consider to sense-check existing pandemic plans, or to inform planning processes which may be underway.

Oxford Economics’ latest Global Outlook report: Global conditions should strengthen in H2 as the disruption fades. But we now project 2020 global growth will slow to just 2.3%, its weakest since 2009.

It really is death by a thousand cuts,” said John Evans, managing director of Tractus Asia, a company that has 20 years’ experience helping firms move to China, but which over the past two has had more enquiries from businesses looking to leave. “This is a black swan event and I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it in recent history, in terms of the economic and supply chain impact in China and across the globe.

Apple makes most iPhones and other products in China. The spread of coronavirus has caused the company to temporarily halt production and close retail stores in China. Some Apple retail stores reopened in China with reduced hours last week.

The coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and ensuing government restrictions raise corporate governance concerns and create areas of risk across the ESG spectrum that should be considered by companies and their directors and officers.

In October 2019, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, testified before Congress that the United States “has become a world leader in drug discovery and development, but is no longer in the forefront of drug manufacturing.” 72% of API manufacturing takes place outside the U.S., and the use of foreign-sourced materials “creates vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain,” Woodcock concluded.

History of the virus

Chinese travellers account for about a fifth of all tourism spending, more than any other country, according to the U.N.’s World Tourism Organization.