nib-bahamas.com (16.07.2020) The National Insurance Board (NIB) will launch a new online portal for eligible individuals to register for the Government-Funded Unemployment Benefit Extension Programme (GovUEBex). Individuals who were unemployed due to the COVID-19 shutdown between March 23 – June 30, and continue to be unemployed, are eligible for the extension programme if they fall under one of four categories: 1. They have exhausted their 13 weeks of NIB’s unemployment benefit (UEB) payments which became payable because of layoffs/termination due to COVID 19. 2. They were enrolled in the Hurricane Dorian UEB Extension Programme and had exhausted the 13 weeks of extended payments. 3. They were employed in full time employment for at least 3 months before the COVID-19 related shutdown and were under the age of 35 but did not meet the required number of contributions to claim NIB’s unemployment benefit. 4. They are self-employed individuals in the tourism sector who were previously enrolled in the Government-funded Unemployment Assistance (UEA) Programme. All eligible individuals must register on the portal to receive financial assistance. Eligible individuals will receive $150 per week for a maximum of 13 weeks during periods of unemployment. NIB has assessed the records of thousands of contributors and self-employed persons, and will pre-enroll individuals that meet the eligibility requirements for the extension programme. The new portal dynamically pulls information from the NIB database to simplify the process of registration for eligible individuals.

Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (09.06.2020) With the recent installation of the Bank of Marshall Islands (BOMI) debit card machine at MISSA’s front desk, a taxpayer will no longer need to write a check nor pay cash for social security contributions. Just like the way customers pay their groceries while shopping at K&K or Payless Supermarket, the MISSA cashier will insert the BOMI debit card to the machine and then enter the amount of MISSA taxes based on the completed MISSA Tax Form MISS-3 that will support the payment.

The Special Commission on Prevention  has set up a Corona information portal for small and medium-sized enterprises, which features a range of international views and examples: https://safety-work.org/en/topics/corona.html.

The website is available in 5 languages

In wake of the COVID-19 crisis and nationwide lockdown, India has been grappling with unprecedented challenges that range from maintaining law and order, access to medical facilities, food, social security to availability of medical facilities. The newest hurdle to have joined this bandwagon has been a systematic increase in incidents of attacks and harassment of its nurses, doctors and other medical personnel. Fueled by paranoia and fear in an increasingly trying time, these ill-informed attacks seem to target medical professional who are feared to be carrying and spreading the diseases. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare1 in its press release dated April 22, 2020 said that, "perceived as carriers of the diseases, there has been stigmatization and ostracization and sometimes worse, acts of unwarranted violence and harassment against our medical professionals. Such a situation tends to hamper the medical community from performing their duties to their optimum best and maintaining their morale, which is a critical need in this hour of national health crisis."

Necessitated by the growing incidents, and upon asserting that the government has a zero tolerance for violence or intimidation of its medical professionals, which includes its dedicated group of doctors, nurses and para-medics who are spearheading a global health crisis, the Union Cabinet on April 22, 2020  approved the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, an Ordinance to amend the Epidemics Diseases Act, 1897.

The key amendments of the colonial legislation seek to protect its healthcare personnel's, clinics and other facilities.

Key Features of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance

• It makes any attack upon them a cognizable and a non-bailable offence.
• It solidifies the definition of what constitutes as violence i.e., harassment, physical injury and damage to property, as well as who is covered under the ambit of healthcare personnel.
• Further, commission or abetment of any acts of violence against said healthcare professionals shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, followed with a fine of Rs.50,000/- to Rs.2,00,000/-.  In aggravated cases concerning grievous hurt, the ordinance directs imprisonment for a term of six months, and up to seven years, and with a fine of Rs.1,00,000/- to Rs.5,00,000/.
• The law also envisions time bound investigations, in addition to compensation for injury or damage to property, to almost twice the fair market value.

„Corona-Spezial“ nennt sich ein neues Lern- und Unterweisungsmodul der BGHW. Die Beschäftigten lernen, wie sie sich richtig verhalten, um eine mögliche Ansteckung mit dem Coronavirus zu vermeiden. Das Modul ist Teil des Online-Lernprogramms (WBT) „Sicher arbeiten – Gesundheit schützen“ der BGHW.

„Corona-Spezial“ kann zur betrieblichen Unterweisung eingesetzt werden. In Videosequenzen sowie durch spielerische und interaktive Elemente werden wichtige organisatorische Maßnahmen und Verhaltensregeln erklärt, um Infektionen zu vermeiden.

Anschaulich werden die wichtigsten Verhaltensregeln in Corona-Zeiten erklärt: Dazu gehören ausreichend Abstand zu Mitmenschen zu halten sowie - neben der üblichen Händehygiene - die sogenannte Husten- und Niesetikette (in die Armbeuge husten und niesen). Wenn der Abstand nicht konsequent eingehalten werden kann, ist das Tragen eines Mund-Nase-Schutzes geboten. Ferner sind regelmäßiges Lüften und die allgemeine Hygieneregeln wichtig. Das Lernmodul gibt praxisnahe Tipps, wie die Verhaltensregeln im Betrieb und auf dem Weg dorthin umgesetzt werden können. Ergänzt um ein betriebliches Maßnahmenkonzept kann der Ansteckungsgefahr auf diese Weise wirksam begegnet werden.

Mit Fragen zu den verschiedenen Kapiteln wird das erlernte Wissen vertieft. Am Schluss des Lernmoduls  werden die Antworten ausgewertet. Das Ergebnis kann zur Dokumentation der Unterweisung an die Führungskraft versendet werden.

vietnaminsider.vn (13.03.2020) People (both Vietnamese and foreigners) are not charged all related fees when they undergo mandatory quarantine at healthcare centers, border gates and other isolation facilities. They will also be transported to isolation wards for free and receive free drinking water, towels, face masks, hand sanitizers, mouthwash and other daily necessities, according to the Finance Ministry’s Circular 32/2012.

vss.gov.vn (07.04.2020) Earlier, on February 6, 2020, Ministry of Health issued Document No 505/BYT-BH on the payment of medical expenses for treatmentof pneumonia caused by the new strain of coronavirus. According to Circular No 32/2012/TT-BTC of December 29, 2012 issued by Ministry of Finance, people infected, suspected of being infected with the virus and high-risk people will have medical expenses fully covered.

vss.gov.vn (09.04.2020) Starting from April 8, 2020, individuals and organizations with accounts registered at the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) may contribute to health insurance and social insurance on the e-Banking application platform. The result of the coordination between Vietnam Social Security and BIDV aims to facilitate people, employees and employers in transactions with social security authorities, especially when the COVID-19 epidemic is maintaining complicated and social distancing is being implemented. Currently, on BIDV's e-Banking applications, namely BIDV Online, BIDV Smart Banking, BIDV Business Online, individuals and organizations can perform two procedures: 1. For participants: Pay for the extension of health insurance card and continue online payment of voluntary social insurance premiums. 2. For employers: Online payment of social, health and unemployment insurance.

The Viet Nam Social Security has implemented policies to support enterprises that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,

Social Security Board (21.07.2020) Effective March 28, 2020 the qualifying condition that a person must be employed upon becoming ill has been suspended. This means persons who, as of March 1, 2020, became unemployed, suspended, placed on leave without pay or ceased self-employed may still qualify for sickness benefit.

The following qualifying conditions apply:

1. The person is sick due to Covid-19;

2. Have 50 weekly paid contributions since 1981;

3. Have no less than 5 paid contributions in the 13 weeks immediately before the last week of employment or self-employment.

4. Self-employed persons must have contributions paid for the month immediately before the last month of ceased operations.  

Social Security Board (21.07.2020) Effectively immediately, SSB has extended the deadline for all contribution payments for the months of March and April 2020.

Employers are required to submit their monthly Contribution statement for these months via our online portal. Self-employed persons can submit their monthly contributions certificate electronically to info@socialsecurity.org.bz.

Employers and self-employed persons can opt to make monthly instalments not exceeding six months with no penalties.

The first payment for March and April is due by 31 July 2020.

Social Security Board (21.07.2020) Effective immediately, Social Security Board (SSB) has suspended the required deadline to submit all benefit claims until further notice. This means that customers are free to submit their claims for processing at a later time but not exceeding six months.

vss.gov.vn (09.04.2020) Cash payment of social security benefits (pensions and social insurance allowances) at home for those beneficiaries who receive benefits in cash usually. Payments will be made in this manner for April and May, and hese will be delivered by the post service.

vss.gov.vn (17.04.2020) Vietnam Social Security cooperates with the concerned ministries and branches to promptly issue documents guiding the settlement of social insurance regimes for employees who must follow isolation measures to prevent COVID-19; guiding on the COVID-19 epidemic prevention funding estimates; guiding the temporary suspension of contribution to the retirement and survivorship fund for units, organizations and enterprises in industries and fields affected by COVID-19 epidemic; guidance on the use of primary healthcare funding for the purchase of anti-epidemic disinfectants; receiving and resolving administrative procedures in the peak phase of COVID-19 prevention and control.

vss.gov.vn (28.04.2020) People with meritorious services  (nearly 78,000 in Hanoi city) and social protection beneficiaries (nearly 185,000 in Hanoi city) were among the first groups identified to receive a welfare package by April 30. The benefit amount is 500,000 VND for one person pero month for a period of 3 months.

vss.gov.vn (15.05.2020) The Ministry of Health (MoH) and Vietnam Social Security (VSS) will unify to closely coordinate and make a commitment to build electronic health records for people as in the Resolution 20/NQ-TW and other relevant documents, with quality assurance, effectiveness and in accordance with the basis of social insurance code number, serving the professional purposes of health facilities as well as those of management of medical examination and treatment costs in health insurance agencies, etc. As for VSS, database will be provided in terms of the number of people and health insurance cards to update information, link data and connect with the MoH. Coordinate with IT Department (MoH) to develop and edit software, requesting social security agencies to implement and expand resources for data storage, etc.

vss.gov.vn (25.05.2020) Since May 12 (2020), the National Public Service Portal (launched in December 2019) has provided six additional public services to support people and businesses during the COVID-19 epidemic, namely: supporting workers to postpone labor contracts and take leave without salary; supporting employers to borrow capital to pay workers' discontinued wages; declaring extension of corporate tax payment; declaring extension of personal tax payment; temporarily closing the retirement fund; receiving and handling feedback and recommendations regarding supporting people and businesses with difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics as of May 2020: There have been 140,000 accounts registered, over 35 million visits, over 7.3 million status sync records and over 68,000 records handled through the National Public Service Portal.

The system also supports over 11,000 calls; over 5,600 feedbacks and recommendations from people and businesses; has integrated 395 online public services on the National Public Service Portal, including 232 public services for businesses.

The total social costs saved for applying online public services are about 6,490 billion dong per year, of which, the National Public Service Portal alone contributes 3,036 billion dong per year.

vss.gov.vn (15.05.2020) Viet Nam Social Security has ordered its units in provinces and cities nationwide to check and confirm the list of employees who have been temporarily suspended from the performance of labour contracts or taken unpaid leave, as well as employees who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This action aims to avoid enterprises illegally profiteering from the policy that allowed COVID-19-affected enterprises to temporality suspend payments of social insurance to the retirement and death fund.

vss.gov.fv (25.05.2020) The Government Office has asked Viet Nam Social Security and localities’ People’s Committees to direct their subsidiaries to help workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to complete administrative procedures and access online public services. Viet Nam Social Security’s hotline at 19009068 is in charge of helping people completing dossiers or redirecting calls to the national public service portal’s hotline at 18001096 for further assistance.

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (17.07.2020) The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare introduces a new coronavirus infected person information grasp and management system (HER-SYS) as an urgent response in order to reduce the work burden of public health centers and to speed up information sharing.

businesstech.co.za (16.07.2020) Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu says that South Africa will introduce a universal basic income grant as part of a range of packages to help the country’s unemployed – but this plan is still a couple of years away from becoming a reality, analysts say.

Al Jazeera (09.06.2020) The government started distributing food packages to vulnerable communities.

Arab Reform Initiative (29.05.2020) The government gave all governmental employees aged 55 and above as well as pregnant and nursing women paid leave until further notice.

The Ministry of Public Health and Population (21.03.2020) The Ministry of Public Health and Population announces the state of comprehensive health mobilization for doctors, health personnel, technicians, and preventive quarantine experts, in preparation for facing the Corona virus. The opportunity to volunteer for colleges and health institutes has been opened as a proactive measure to respond to any emergency or outbreak of the Corona virus.