Government of the Virgin Islands (15.09.2020) Over 1000 small businesses have qualified for the economic stimulus grant ranging from $1,592 to $7,955 and will begin to receive their cheques beginning this week. The Small Business Sector Grant Programme was established for the purpose of assisting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)  affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in meeting operational expenditure, while stimulating economic activity by facilitating the circulation of money within the Territory.

Government of the Republic of Benin (10.09.2020) The Council of Ministers took specific measures in the agricultural sector strongly affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures have a total cost of 100 billion CFA francs distributed as follows:  - 50 billion CFA francs intended to refinance banks and MFIs on the basis of their agricultural loan portfolios - 35 billion CFA francs intended for guarantee at 50% the loans of agricultural promoters and entrepreneurs  - 15 billion CFA francs for the subsidization of the interest rates of the credits set up for the benefit of the beneficiaries.

The Guardian (24.09.2020) The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced a replacement for the coronavirus job retention scheme based on a German-style system of wage subsidies. Faced with the prospect of rising job losses this autumn when furlough closes at the end of October, and tougher restrictions on the economy as the pandemic worsens, the “job support scheme” forms the backbone of his winter economy plan. 
The government will contribute towards the wages of employees who are working fewer than normal hours, and will cover 22% of worker pay for six months.  

ilo.org (26.08.2020) A new ILO policy brief shows how public employment services are using technology to increase the help available to people whose jobs have been affected by COVID-19.

ilo.org (23.09.2020) A new ILO analysis of the labour market impact of COVID-19 reveals a “massive” drop in labour income and a fiscal stimulus gap that threatens to increase inequality between richer and poorer countries.

KMPG (15 March 2020) Modified social security rules are to apply for the period of March-June 2020 for certain sectors—the hospitality and tourism sector; entertainment, film industry, and performing art sector; the sport services sector; the event organization sector; and the gambling section. The changes provide that employers in these sectors will not be liable to pay the employer part of social security contributions (17.5% + 1.5%) with respect to employment income paid to employees for the period March-June 2020. Moreover, employees will only be liable to pay 4% healthcare social security contribution on their employment income received during the March-June 2020 period (instead of the aggregated 18.5% social security contribution). Nevertheless, the upper limit of the healthcare social security contribution will be HUF 7,710 a month.

crowe.com (16.04.2020) As part of the economy recovery plan easing the economic issues caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Hungarian Government has announced an economy protection plan, with a focus on maintaining research and development jobs. The original regulation was amended by Government Decree 141/2020. (IV. 21.). The subsidy is available from the 16th of April. According to the modified regulation if an employer employs R&D employees, one subsidy application per corporate site may be submitted to the government office (defined by the geographical location of the employer’s headquarter/registered site) during the so-called emergency situation or within 1 month after the emergency situation ended.

Ilo.org (17.09.2020) Closing the social protection coverage gap, worsened by COVID-19, will require additional sources of financing.

EU Reporter (27.08.2020) German coalition parties agreed on Tuesday (25 August) to extend measures to cushion the effects of the coronavirus crisis on Europe’s biggest economy at a cost of up to €10 billion, including prolonging a short-time work scheme and freezing insolvency rules, write Andreas Rinke, Holger Hansen and Madeline Chambers and Joseph Nasr in Berlin. 

Das Kurzarbeitergeld soll wegen der Coronakrise bis Ende Dezember 2021 und damit auf 24 Monate verlängert werden. Das haben die Spitzen von Union und SPD beschlossen.

As a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, rent concessions have been granted to lessees. Such concessions might take a variety of forms, including payment holidays and deferral of lease payments. On 28 May 2020, the IASB published an amendment to IFRS 16 that provides an optional practical expedient for lessees from assessing whether a rent concession related to COVID-19 is a lease modification. Lessees can elect to account for such rent concessions in the same way as they would if they were not lease modifications. In many cases, this will result in accounting for the concession as variable lease payments in the period(s) in which the event or condition that triggers the reduced payment occurs.

The Australian Government will provide 10 additional Medicare subsidised psychological therapy sessions for people subjected to further restrictions in areas impacted by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

LAS EMPRESAS PRESTADORAS DE LOS SERVICIOS DE ENERGIA ELECTRICA, GAS POR REDES Y AGUA CORRIENTE, TELEFONIA FIJA O MOVIL E INTERNET Y TV POR CABLE, POR VINCULO RADIOELECTRICO O SATELITAL, NO PODRAN DISPONER LA SUSPENSION O EL CORTE DE LOS RESPECTIVOS SERVICIOS A LOS USUARIOS Y LAS USUARIAS INDICADOS EN EL ARTICULO 3°, EN CASO DE MORA O FALTA DE PAGO DE HASTA TRES (3) FACTURAS CONSECUTIVAS O ALTERNAS, CON VENCIMIENTOS DESDE EL 1° DE MARZO DE 2020.

koreaherald.com (11.04.2020) Foreign subscribers of South Korea’s national health insurance are eligible for premium assistance in a COVID-19 bailout, the state health care service said Saturday. From July 16, 2019, foreign residents staying over six months are required to enroll in the national health insurance plan. Previously, the subscription was optional for those staying longer than three months. As of last year, the number of foreign subscribers to the national health insurance plan reached 1,212,475. On average, a foreign subscriber pays 1,068,186 won a year in premium and receive 82,389 won in benefits.

koreaherald.com (11.03.2020) The National Health Insurance Service said the lower 20 percent of the income bracket will receive about 30 to 50 percent reduction in premiums from March through May. For the worst-affected Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province’s Gyeongsan, Cheongdo and Bonghwa, the bottom half of income earners will be given the partial premium waivers. The lowered payments are a part of Korea’s disaster relief subsidy plan announced March 30 to cushion financial blow from the outbreak for the financially vulnerable. Under the emergency plan, 1.16 million people are expected to get an average of about 91,559-won reduction in their premiums over the three-month span, officials said.

wwwnc.cdc.gov (17.09.2020) The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) classified the severity of COVID-19 into very severe, severe, mild, and asymptomatic (15) (Appendix Table 1). Mild COVID-19 is defined as alert and meeting >1 of the following conditions: <50 years old, >1 underlying conditions, and temperature <38°C with antipyretic drugs. Asymptomatic is defined as a patient who is alert, <50 years old, has no underlying disease, is a nonsmoker, and has a temperature of <37.5°C without antipyretic drugs. Patients classified as severe or very severe were admitted to hospitals; CTCs only accepted patients classified as having mild or asymptomatic COVID-19. Patients with mild COVID-19 met >1 of the following criteria for CTC admission: they did not necessarily require hospitalization; they only required monitoring; they were unable to properly self-isolate (for instance, they had no suitable place to live or lived with persons in a high-risk group); or, as determined by local government, they needed to be admitted to a CTC. Medical staff assessed patients and excluded persons at high-risk for deterioration from CTCs and recommended hospitalization.