en.pension.gov.mv (11.03.2020) As a precautionary measure to COVID-19, Pension Office has decided to opt for utilising online platforms effective today.  For information, assistance, and submission of documents, clients are encouraged to use online services rather than visiting our reception. 

cnss.ma (19.03.2020)

Dans le cadre des mesures préventives annoncées par les autorités compétentes la Caisse nationale de sécurité sociale (CNSS) a mis en place une série de mesures exceptionnelles destinées à réduire les déplacements des affiliés et à garantir leur sécurité et celle du personnel. Parmi les mesures:
- Le suivi de l’état d’avancement du traitement des dossiers est possible via le portail assuré, l’application mobile MA CNSS et le centre d’appel Allo Damane;
- Orientation des clients vers le centre d’appel, le serveur vocale, une nouvelle version de son Site CNSS, les portails de la CNSS, l’application Smarthpone Ma.cnss et la page Facebook officielle de la CNSS.

finances.gov.ma (28.03.2020)

Le fonds spécial pour la gestion de la pandémie du Coronavirus « La Covid19 » a été créé à l’effet de prendre en charge les dépenses de mise à niveau du dispositif médical, et de soutenir l’économie marocaine et ses acteurs face aux retombées négatives de cette pandémie. Le Comité de Veille Economique (mis en place pour faire face à la pandémie), a pris, parmi d'autres mesures qui visent la préservation du pouvoir d’achat des salariés, les mesures suivantes:
- Octroyer une indemnité forfaitaire mensuelle nette du 15 mars au 30 juin 2020, soit 1000 DH pour le mois de mars 2020 et 2000 dirhams pour les mois d'avril, mai et juin 2020. Cette indemnité concerne les salariés déclarés à la CNSS au titre du mois de février 2020, en arrêt temporaire de travail et relevant des entreprises en difficulté ;
- continuer de bénéficier, selon les dispositions en vigueur, des allocations familiales et des prestations de l'Assurance Maladie Obligatoire.

myfnpf.com.fj (30.03.2020) Following the announcement of the Supplementary Budget for COVID-19 and in collaboration with Government, the Fiji National Provident Fund will be working closely with Employers when it rolls out the assistance program for members through existing digital platforms. The Fund is taking its cue from health advisories for physical distancing during this period and will be carrying out bulk of the assistance processes digitally. FNPF is liaising with Employers to ensure members in the affected areas that have been prioritized, are assisted.

conjonctureseconomiques.com (04.04.2020)

Le président gabonais dégage 250 milliards de FCFA pour faire face aux conséquences du Coronavirus. Pour les personnes les plus fragiles et économiquement faibles, l’État injectera quatre milliards de FCFA par mois, pour le règlement des factures d’électricité et deux milliards de FCFA pour l’ensemble des factures d’eau. Tout bailleur suspendra, le temps du confinement partiel, la perception des loyers des personnes sans revenus dont la liste sera arrêtée ultérieurement par le gouvernement; un fonds d’aide de 2,5 milliards de FCFA sera mis en place pour compenser les pertes des petits propriétaires liées à la précédente mesure; les transports terrestres assurés par les compagnies publiques seront totalement gratuits pour l’ensemble des usagers à compter de la semaine prochaine et jusqu’à nouvel ordre; le pouvoir d’achat des travailleurs sera préservé, par la mise en place d’une allocation de chômage technique. Les employees percevront entre 50 et 70% du salaire brut mensuel hors primes; pour les faibles revenus, compris notamment entre 80 000 FCFA et 150 mille FCFA, ils seront intégralement maintenus.

financialtribune.com (06.04.2020) The government will allocate 50,000 billion rials ($305 million) to Unemployment Insurance Fund to support those who have lost their jobs amid the outbreak of coronavirus, an official with the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare said. “To prevent the spread of the virus, applicants are urged to fill out online forms for unemployment benefits at the newly-designed website 'bimebikari.mcls.gov.ir' within 30 days, rather than going personally to the ministry’s bureaus," Masoud Babaie added.  “As per a joint guideline signed by the Cooperatives Ministry and the Social Security Organization on March 30, workers of 10 job groups and economic subsectors that have been hit by coronavirus outbreak and are subject to the provisions of the Islamic Republic of Iran Labor Law, the Social Security Act and the Unemployment Insurance Law will qualify to receive unemployment benefits for three months,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA. 

Diese Frage kann sich aktuell in jedem Betrieb stellen: Was ist zu tun, wenn ein Mitarbeiter oder eine Mitarbeiterin sich mit dem Corona-Virus infiziert hat oder der begründete Verdacht auf eine Infektion besteht. Eine neue Broschüre von Berufsgenossenschaften und Unfallkassen nennt die richtigen Ansprechpartner und gibt Hinweise, wie auch in dieser Situation Sicherheit und Gesundheit im Unternehmen bestmöglich gewahrt werden können. 

Die Berufsgenossenschaft für Handel und Warenlogistik hat ihre  speziellen Sicherheitshinweise für die Handels- und Warenlogistikbranche nun auch in Englisch und Türkisch veröffentlicht.

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The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Trade and Logistics industry provides their special safety notices for the trade and goods logistics industries now also in an English and a Turkisch version.

The international occupational safety and health comunity has developped a set of guides, actions and sources of information to formulate COVID-19 responses for the workplace. Here are the links to their websites:

International Labour Office (ILO)

International Organisation of Employers (IOE)

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

agenciadeempleocolsubsidio.com (27.03.2020) El Subsidio de emergencia es un beneficio que se otorga a partir del decreto 488 de 27 de marzo de 2020. Como una medida de orden laboral, dentro del Estado de Emergencia, Económica, Social y Ecológica.

¿Quiénes pueden acceder a este subsidio?

• Trabajadores dependientes e independientes cesantes con una escala salarial desde 1 hasta 4 s.m.l.v. (desde $877.803 hasta $3.511.212)
• Que haya realizado aportes a una caja de compensación durante un (1) año continuo o discontinuo, en el transcurso de los últimos 5 años.
• Personas que no tengan empleo cesantes. Sin ningún tipo de ingreso, pensión o renta mensual y no estar afiliado como cotizante a una EPS.
• Solo los que hayan cotizado en Colsubsidio durante su último trabajo.
• Los cesantes que a partir del 17 de marzo de 2020 hayan realizado su postulación al subsidio de emergencia según el decreto 488 del 2020.

Bloomberg (05.04.2020) The Spanish government is working to roll out a universal basic income as soon as possible, as part of a battery of actions aimed at countering the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Economy Minister Nadia Calvino. Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva is coordinating the project and plans to put some sort of basic income “in place as soon as possible,” with the main focus on assisting families, Calvino, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said in an interview Sunday night with Spanish broadcaster La Sexta. But the government’s broader ambition is that basic income becomes an instrument “that stays forever, that becomes a structural instrument, a permanent instrument,” she said.

nation.co.ke (25.03.2020) Some of the measures announced by the government are: Appropriation of an additional Ksh. 10 Billion to the elderly, orphans and other vulnerable members of our society through cash-transfers by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, to cushion them from the adverse economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and tax relief for persons earning gross monthly income of up to Ksh. 24,000.

noticias.anses.gob.ar (05.04.2020) La ANSES comunica que los solicitantes del Ingreso Familiar de Emergencia (IFE) podrán conocer, a partir de las 00 horas del lunes 6 de abril, si reúnen los requisitos para poder acceder a esta prestación extraordinaria de 10.000 pesos que se cobrará en el curso de este mes. Quienes hayan cumplido con los requisitos exigidos podrán continuar con el trámite, siguiendo los pasos que oportunamente le comunique ANSES. Los solicitantes del IFE deberán ingresar a consultar su situación en la página Web de la ANSES (www.anses.gob.ar).

The Straits Times (07.04.2020) Give all Singaporeans a universal basic income for the duration of the coronavirus crisis, to assure them that their basic needs will be met even if they lose their jobs, said Nominated MP Walter Theseira. Under his proposal, dubbed the Majulah Universal Basic Income Scheme (MUBI), all Singaporeans - including children and retirees - will get $110 a week for 12 weeks. This will be considered taxable income and cost $4.62 billion.

Documents - curation 

news articles - curation

The Japan Times (03.04.2020) The government will provide ¥300,000  (2800$) in cash to each household suffering from falling incomes amid the spread of the new coronavirus. About 10 million of the nation's 58 million households are expected to be eligible for the cash program, a key pillar of an emergency economic package that the government plans to compile as soon as Tuesday.

On 29 February, the number of new COVID-19 cases for the day surged to 909 in Korea. 4 weeks later, on March 30, the number of new cases dropped to 78. “South Korea took rapid, intrusive measures against COVID-19 and they worked” (The Guardian, March 20). 

The Report  on “Tackling COVID-19: Health, Quarantine and Economic Measures of South Korea” shares Koreas succesful experiences in controling the spread of COVID-19 and covers a wide range of social security measures, including, but not limited to: 

• economic incentives
• health care
• prevention 

to control the outbreak of COVID-19.

The report was prepared by the Development Finance Bureau at the Ministry of Economy and Finance in collaboration with the Korea Center for Diseases Control and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. 

The  Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC)  provides information about the quality of health care to those who commission, manage, deliver and experience critical care through national clinical audits and  clinical and health services research studies. IN a recently published ICNARC report on 2249 critically ill COVID-19 patients it was wound that: 

1. The average age of patients with confirmed COVID-19 is 60.1 years of age, compared to 58.1 for patients with viral pneumonia (non-COVID-19).
2. As of 4 April 2020, critical care unit outcomes have been received for 690 patients, of whom 346 patients have died and 344 were discharged alive from critical care in the UK (50.1% fatality rate) in comparison to 22.4% of patients with viral pneumonia (non-COVID-19) in critical care have passed away.
3. People who are 70 or older are the most vulnerable with only 82 (31.9%) who survived COVID-19 in critical care, but there are  COVID-19 patients in critical care of all ages (142 patients amongst the 50-69 year olds who died and 29 fatalities amongst the 16-49 years olds).
4. 73% of  critically ill patients with confirmed COVID-19 are male.

During this unprecedented time the world and India are facing due to the Coronavirus outbreak, it has been the endeavour of Indo-German Focal Point (IGFP) to rise to the ocassion in supporting the important role of the State in investing in prevention, by addressing issues such as the vulnerability of migrant construction workers, the promotion of awareness programmes on prevention and the rescue of stranded workers. The Thinktank of the Govt of India (Niti Aayog) has apprised the activities of IGFP  on the Prevention of  the spreading of COVID-19. 

Furthermore, 

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a 22,200 million Indian Rupees (INR) support package for the welfare of economically weaker sections of society in Odisha to deal with the coronavirus related impact.

The measures include : 

• 4 months advance pension for the 4.8 million beneficiaries under the Odisha Social Security Scheme
• 2.2 million Construction worlers will receive 1500 INR each
• 9.4 million beenficiaries under the FSCW Department will get a financial assistance of 1000 INR each

Download the measures as PDF.

indiatoday.in (27.03.2020) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a 22,200 million Indian Rupees (INR) support package for the welfare of economically weaker sections of society in Odisha to deal with the coronavirus related impact.
The measures include : 

• 4 months advance pension for the 4.8 million beneficiaries under the Odisha Social Security Scheme
• 2.2 million Construction worlers will receive 1500 INR each
• 9.4 million beenficiaries under the FSCW Department will get a financial assistance of 1000 INR each

Download the measures as PDF.