1. 一季度，尽管大部分经济活动受到严重影响，但国内生产总值（GDP）仅下降6.8%。这一数据背后有其复杂原因。
2. 首先， essential services like mining operations, particularly coal mining, continued uninterrupted. This was necessary to ensure electricity generation continued, as power plants require coal to function.
3. Additionally, water and natural gas utilities remained in operation. The demand for these services did not cease, as every household requires water and hospitals need uninterrupted gas supply for various purposes.
4. Heating companies also continued their operations, ensuring that buildings remained warm, especially in colder regions.
5. The supply chain for supermarkets, including transportation, agricultural production, and logistics companies, along with their personnel such as truck drivers and delivery workers, functioned despite the challenges. They were instrumental in maintaining the flow of goods to meet the continuing demand for everyday items.
6. In essence, while the visible face of economic activity like shopping in physical stores may have decreased, the production and sale of essential goods and services were still happening, contributing to the overall GDP.
7. This explains why, despite the significant disruption to daily life and the 'stay-at-home' orders, the GDP decline was not more severe. The continued functioning of these critical sectors helped to mitigate the impact on the economy, resulting in a GDP decrease of 6.8%.
