Work obsessed Japanese learn to take it easy, with a ‘workation'

The Netherlands approach of balancing the potential for future economic hardship with the current risk of Covid-19 spreading has appeared to have helped the country to flatten the curve of cases faster than other areas that implemented mandatory lockdown measures. Although critics of this "controlled distribution" approach point out that the country has still seen thousands of deaths and could see future waves of outbreaks, at this point in time, "the Netherlands has both flattened the curve and kept life tolerable."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, owners of the French bistro Bell's took a financial risk and began investing more money in their employees to incentivize working, increase employee satisfaction and retention and overall drive more profits. The decision has since paid off and is reimagining the traditional restaurant structure.

Despite a nationwide months-long coronavirus lockdown in Norway, the economy was able to remain stable due to a "decades-long effort to create an equitable economy" that helped the government to enact a package that provided businesses and self-employed individuals' tax relief and deferrals. Although Norwegians pay roughly the same amount of taxes that Americans do, their taxes largely pay for social welfare programs which include unemployment benefits, retirement pay, and health care coverage. This "national ethos of economic equity" is what helped the country to navigate the pandemic.

South Korea's economic growth is one of the few that have not stagnated or declined during the coronavirus pandemic. Although much of this is due to how effectively the country handled containment protocols from the start, the overall fiscal response – which included encouraging residents to reinvest government payouts in local businesses – also played a significant role. In one province, this included using non-cash payments "that could only be spent in shops inside the region, rather than as cash that could be hoarded."

As a second surge of the coronavirus pandemic spreads throughout much of the world, some manufacturers in the West have found ways to successfully avoid the economic fallout despite heightened restrictions. In one case, a manufacturing company "began requiring masks, banned employees from congregating during breaks and started checking their temperatures at the door," which initially decreased efficiency and productivity; but, as the employees continued to stay healthy, business returned, and the company is now "on track to meet its most ambitious forecast."

Germany has weathered the pandemic with lower illness rates than its neighbors and a relatively strong economy thanks to leadership and responses that have evolved and helped the country thrive in the three decades since reunification. The author of the book "Why the Germans Do It Better: Notes from a Grown-Up Country" reports on the blend of governing, business, and social approaches to challenges – rooted in a concept of "social trust" in the state and society, and a steady, deliberate, caring mindset – that help the country confront a contagion, a recession, or a refugee crisis.

The town of Tenino, Washington has begun to print their own unique money during the coronavirus pandemic to both ward of the economic fallout and help those who are facing financial insecurity. Similar to efforts from the city's past as well as that of other small towns, the locally-printed wooden dollars can only be spent at local businesses and for basic needs, with the mayor explaining, "Amazon will not be accepting wooden dollars.”

A COVID-19-spurred shutdown has halted ecotourism to Siete Pecados, a marine protected area in the Philippines. As a result, many residents have turned to fishing as a way to supplement their income. To make sure this is done with the environment in mind, local residents are stepping up to help tourism workers, ensure the area stays protected, and prevent overfishing of endangered species.

The Paycheck Protection Program, a program launched by the federal government to help small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic, has helped the community in New Hampshire save about 40,000 jobs. Although not all small businesses are keen to take the loan because of the strict stipulations that must be met for it to be forgivable, overall, 7,400 loans have been approved so far.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham was quick to start implementing measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, prior to the state reporting any cases. Although it's yet to be seen what the long term impact will be, her use of "utilizing post-9/11 emergency authorizations to stem the pandemic in the absence of federal directives" such as issuing a stay-at-home order and waiving red tape that prevented people from accessing unemployment benefits and food stamps, have so far received recognition as possibly slowing the spread.