The CoronaVirus (official name: COVID-19) epidemic has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. The virus is reported to have originated from Wuhan in China. As of the 17th of March 2020, more than 198,177 people in at least 165 countries had been infected with COVID-19. In order to protect people and curb the spread of this dreaded infection, there is ongoing global education and awareness about the virus, its spread, advice on crowd movements/gathering, border closures in many countries, limited international travel, work from home directives by countries, organisations etc.
The world economy is under threat. Across the globe, there are fears of shortages as factories and shops are closing/closed to stop the spread of the virus. There is a sharp decline in economic activities worldwide. There are fears of recession and governments are being advised to shore up their reserves to protect their economies.
The virus is unrelenting in its reach, even as The Canadian Prime Minister is billed to be in isolation for fourteen days this month because his wife tested positive for the virus. Although the mortality statistics reports are skewed more towards the elderly and those who suffer chronic illnesses, it is still a debilitating illness with no immediate cure in sight. Money is being pumped into vaccine research at the moment, but it is feared, this might not be ready within a short period.
Whilst progress to curtail the spread had been made in some countries in Asia, the spread of the virus appears to have garnered life in the United States of America, Europe and Africa.
As a result of this disease, the world has gone “remote”. Some of the well-known preventive measures being undertaken include:
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has called off the Lesser Hajj and restricted inbound flights from some countries
- The Pope’s messages were delivered via Tv screens at the Vatican on the 7th March 2020
- Football matches are being played in stadiums without spectators or cancelled
- Many global events are being conducted virtually, including the ICANN67 meeting for which NiRA staff and Directors were billed to travel to Mexico.
Now more than ever, the Internet has become the best platform for all to conduct their businesses. Whether it is buying and selling, service provision, education or governance, online interactions have become imperative in a world which is battling one of the most pervasive epidemics in recent times. Any business that knows its onions will recognise the times and ensure that they can be found online, with their business conducted, payments made and feedback provided virtually.
This is the time for you to get a .ng domain name, which will assist you to project your business online, and keep your lights on, no matter how much isolation the world experiences as a result of this pandemic. This is also a good time to check that your domain is being hosted locally, with the global economy reeling from the effects of the pandemic on various market indices. Making payments in a foreign currency will definitely cost you more this week than it did last week, for example.
Get your .ng domain name today, take your business online.
Our hearts go out to all the people who have contracted this virus, and to every family missing them because they are in isolation. We pray that the Almighty grants them quick recovery. Our hearts also go out to those who have lost dear ones, or those whose businesses or jobs have been negatively impacted.
Finally, let us keep our hands germ-free at all times and should you feel ill and suspect you are infected by the virus, isolate yourself and call these NCDC emergency hotlines: 08000-970000-10 and 08000corona. An ounce of prevention, they say, is better than a pound of cure. We pray for God’s protection against this insidious virus.
We are urging all to be safe, and stay up to date with information from the National Centre for Disease Control’s information regarding this outbreak. The information can be found at https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps/?cat=14&name=An%20update%20of%20COVID-19%20outbreak%20in%20Nigeria.
Muhammed Rudman
President, NiRA