Good Cautious + optimistic day to you.
😷 Health update:
- Italy partly emerged from eight weeks of lockdown; people can now go out to exercise, cafés reopened for takeaway, and travel is allowed to visit close relatives.
- Next hotspot – Russia; infections surged to over 10,000 a day. their prime minister Mikhail Mishustin tested positive for the disease.
- In Germany shops were allowed to reopen, with social distancing. Football matches will resume in the Bundesliga, but without spectators.
- Baltic countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia opened borders to allow movement of people. All three countries will reopen in phases.
📦 Cargo update:
- Rail sees surge in demand to continue flow of goods between Asia-Europe. Rail’s reliability plus strong connectivity across Europe is win-win for all.
- Ocean freight shows some optimistic signs of a recovery in upcoming weeks, likely attributed to positive news and the gradual reopening of Europe.
- Airlines have no passenger revenue coming in, that means re-purposing passenger aircraft into cargo-only flights ensures capacity and business continuity.
- Road freight volumes in Europe have already begun to recover, pulled up by grocery-related transport, chemicals and pharma industries.