Introduction

In order to contain the contagion, many countries have implemented restrictive measures to reduce gathering and formations of crowds. Schools are also affected and had to reduce their classes or close entirely. One can only imagine the impact when, at the peak of the crisis, almost 1.6 billion children in 195 countries worldwide could not use their classrooms. If school closures are extended for too long, there is a significant potential for loss of educational opportunities, but also a potential loss of human capital and diminished economic opportunities in the long-term

COVID-19 measures around the world caused disruption and posed significant burdens on our economies. However, the flip side of the coin is that these measures also positively impacted our environment, by reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants - such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) – from numerous sectors, such as transport, energy and aviation. Reduced pollutant emissions result from, for instance, lower demand for services, closing of large buildings such as offices and schools, and a reduction of industrial activity. These events are in no way

The restrictive measures taken by national governments in response to the pandemic are affecting millions, if not billions, of people’s work-life situation. The major economic consequences of the crisis (also discussed in this data story) can especially be seen in the labour market as the impact is both on the supply side (production) and demand side (consumption) of the economy. Some short-term effects that are already noticeable include massive job losses, reduced working hours of employees, and the measures implemented by governments to financially support struggling companies. Furthermore

Approximately six months after the first COVID-19 case was identified in China in December 2019, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are increasingly visible. In the first months after the virus first occurred, the agendas of countries worldwide were dominated by COVID-19 related issues. With the deceleration of COVID-19 diffusion, the attention is again divided across other significant challenges, such as climate change and the rebuild of our economies. However, some COVID-19 related vocabulary will uphold a prominent place on the agenda, such as social distancing, contact-tracing and

The world is currently entering a new phase of the pandemic, where countries take their first steps in loosening the restrictive measures. A difficult but important task of safely reopening businesses and public spaces is maintaining the social distancing rules. Social distancing, sometimes referred to as physical distancing, requires people to keep e.g. 1.5-meter distance from others in order to reduce new infections. Guidelines are created in order to advise countries and policymakers to support citizens if necessary, see for example the guidelines from the European Centre for Disease

The global food system currently accounts for 10% of world GDP and employs approximately 1,5 billion people. As the system is increasingly globalised, food produce travels across continents before arriving at destination of consumption. This widespread import and export of foods results from consumers’ desires to pick their foods from various assortments all-year round.

Over the past 30 years, food exports have grown six-fold, with four-fifths of people living in part from calories that were produced in another country. For instance, in Western-European supermarkets one can find Mexican limes

The current COVID-19 crisis has led to national quarantines and global travel bans, bringing international travel to a standstill. According to a research performed by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), 100% of UNWTO countries impose restrictions on travelling and 72% have completely closed their borders to international tourism. The exact travel restrictions per country can be found in a global dashboard created by the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) using data from the World Food Programme (WFP). With the cancellation of business trips, holidays, and weekend getaways