As the 海角视频 government took its first tentative steps this week towards something resembling an easing of restrictions, companies from all sectors are considering what life after lockdown might look like.
For office-based businesses in areas such as tech, media and professional services, something akin to normal service has been maintained throughout the past seven weeks of lockdown.
But other sectors where having people on the ground is the only way to keep a business going, such as manufacturing and construction, have been hit the hardest.
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We canvassed the views of business leaders from three very different sectors, all vital to the economy of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, to see how they see life after lockdown.
The construction company
BAM Construction is a key player in Birmingham's property industry as the contractor leading office projects 103 Colmore Row and One and Two Chamberlain Square at the £700 million Paradise scheme.
The company has nine sites in total across the Midlands, all of which are operating in some capacity, and its division in this region is also assisting the NHS with specially adapted facilities to help the response to coronavirus cases.
Dave Ellis is the man charged with leading these schemes as Midlands director.
"The construction industry has had to make a series of changes to its practices in order to keep working, albeit in many cases at a lower level of productivity than before," he told BusinessLive.
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"Many of our teams are now working from home when possible, splitting duties with those remaining on site while common spaces such as canteens and toilets have been re-designed to ensure social distancing.
"The situation has been so fluid that our main weapon in the fight against covid-19 has been our agility and adaptability to pause, make these major changes, and be able to continue safely.
"There are major initiatives in Birmingham that require construction to happen so we remain positive about the market in the longer term.
"In the short to medium term, we and our clients will continue to have to adapt as the situation changes and to work through how this affects the schemes due to be built in the near future.
"Our long history has seen us survive two world wars and numerous recessions and we will emerge from this highly unpredictable situation as well."
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The Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards are back for a second year, in partnership with the Ladder for Greater Birmingham. The event will be held online only on Friday November 27, 2020 and will celebrate apprentices, employers and training and education providers.
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The bank
Birmingham can boast the biggest financial and banking services sector outside of the capital with NatWest as one of its largest members, employing around 3,000 staff across the region.
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Abram Tilling, Midlands managing director for commercial and corporate banking, said NatWest had adapted quickly to become a "virtual bank" and implemented other remote working measures which may continue in the future.
"As we move out of the lockdown in the coming months, some of the precedents that we have set will continue in some way," he said.
"We have always supported remote working and there will be a necessity for this to continue, along with other office measures, to maintain safe levels of social distancing.
"When lockdown ends, the impact of the pandemic will continue to be felt by many businesses but that doesn't mean there will not be new opportunities.
"Initiatives we have launched such as help for vulnerable customers and NHS staff during the crisis really align to what we believe is our purpose and this gives us a great opportunity to build upon this support as we come out the other side."
Referring to the sector more widely, Mr Tilling said banks would embrace the way tech can help them reduce unnecessary travel and their carbon footprint.
"We will see the financial sector and other industries embrace this way of working more with staff combining time in the office with working from their homes," he added.
"If this makes for a happier, more productive workforce it can only be a good thing and that in turn helps customers too. We are hugely positive about the future. Britain will come out of the other side of this pandemic and for the Midlands in particular there will be some real opportunities."
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The manufacturer
Brandauer was founded in Birmingham in 1862 and has evolved from a pen manufacturer to become one of the largest precision stamping firms in Europe.
It has managed to maintain some operations with just under half of its staff in the factory, supplying disposable razor components to Israel and nose clips for protective face masks for clients in the 海角视频, South Africa and South Korea.
Chief executive Rowan Crozier told BusinessLive he accepted future operations would be very different but remote working was currently going well for the firm's sales and commercial teams.
He also expects more automation on the shop floor to allow for social distancing, distanced learning for apprentices and furloughed staff and better working between companies across the manufacturing sector.
"There will be tighter networking and more collaboration among businesses as industry tries to find its way through the new economy and trading conditions we face," he said.
"We have been fortunate to be part of the Manufacturing Assembly Network so, throughout the crisis, have held regular virtual meetings where we have tackled common issues and looked at ways in which we could support the frontline fight against covid-19.
"There will be continued globalisation of our customer base, with some reshoring opportunities expected to arise from the sector's desire to reduce supply chain risk.
"Going forward, it is likely to be survival of the fittest, with employee welfare and preservation of cash - coupled with an agile approach to matching operational ability to the new norm - absolutely vital.
"Our pipeline is full of opportunities and new developments across many established and emerging sectors but the Government will need to support manufacturing for the next one to two years if the recovery is to take hold."