blogs.worldbank.org (07.07.2020) The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the long-anticipated surge in telemedicine services worldwide. Consulting a health care provider over phone, video or text has become the new normal for many non-urgent medical needs, while the crisis has sparked renewed interest in digital tools that can test and monitor at-risk patients safely in their homes.

Government of the Republic of Benin (10.07.2020) The majority of beneficiaries exercising certain trades who were impacted by the restrictive measures to fight against the spread of corona virus have started receiving a subsidy via cash transfers on their mobile phones. 

There are differences in the grants. They depend on three things: whether the activity is formal or not; the geographical location of the activity (does the person work in large cities or not) and also what was declared in terms of loss of income during the period of implementation of these restrictive measures.

Now is the time to

Al Jazeera (07.07.2020) Burundi has launched a campaign of mass testing for the coronavirus in the country's largest city, in a significant shift in policy for a nation which has largely ignored the dangers of the outbreak.

Many Bujumbura residents, including students, participated in the screening in three centres in the north, centre and south of the commercial capital on Monday.

unicef.org (01.07.2020) The Government of Spain recently launched a national ‘Basic Income scheme’ (‘Ingreso Minimo Vital’), for extremely poor households and vulnerable groups. The means-tested programme is expected to reach approximately 2.5 million people, who will receive between €462 and €1,015 per month per household depending on the number of household members. Total household income and wealth determines whether a household receives the benefit, and applicants should be between 23 and 65 years of age and have legal residence in Spain of at least one year. There is also a condition of being registered as a job seeker. The programme is expected to cost €3,000 million.

lefigaro.fr (10.07.2020) Le parquet de Paris a annoncé vendredi enquêter sur des fraudes «massives» au chômage partiel, impliquant des «flux financiers internationaux», qui ont occasionné «plus d'1,7 million d'euros» de préjudice.

Orbitax News (10.07.2020) Mexico's Social Security Institute has announced a simplified installment plan scheme for employers facing difficulties in paying their social security contributions due to COVID-19. Under the scheme, employers may make up to 48 monthly installments, subject to monthly interest as follows:

• up to 12 months - 1.26% interest
• 12 months to 24 months - 1.53% interest
• 24 months to 48 months - 1.82% interest

To be eligible, at least 20% of employer contributions and 100% of employee contributions must be paid.

Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (14.05.2020) The Solidarity Coverage to Support the Health Sector consists of life insurance from insurance companies to provide financial protection to the families of public sector health personnel free of charge. The beneficiaries of this support will be the relatives of 1.6 million public sector health workers who have died from the COVID-19, when treating patients with this disease. In the event of death due to the direct cause of said disease, the insurers undertake to grant 50 thousand pesos to relatives of the aforementioned staff (spouse or, in case of no-show, their children or their parents, if the former do not show up) . This protection will be retroactive and will be valid from April 1 to August 31, 2020.

Ministry of the Economy (25.05.2020) 

Mexico City, May 25, 2020.- The Government of Mexico again alerts the population to not be fooled by advertisements circulating on social networks and instant messaging services, where people outside the Federal Public Administration offer financial support 25 thousand pesos and false food cards as part of an alleged emerging program in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Networks that operate suspected frauds seek to charge access to false support programs or steal personal information from citizens.

It is important to remember that, thanks to the inter-institutional coordination between the Ministry of Welfare and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), it has been possible to freeze the accounts of people linked to an alleged fraud that consisted of the delivery of false cards in exchange for cash deposits; however, the groups that try to deceive the population continue to operate in different states of the Republic, changing their strategies.

Samui Times (17.06.2020) Thailand’s state welfare card holders have been approved to get three handouts of 1,000 THB each as long as they have not fallen under other governmental financial aid campaigns surrounding the efforts to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. it will be paid in three monthly installments which have been backdated from May. That means each person should be getting 2,000 THB this month, with another 1,000 THB to be automatically deposited in July-marking the end of the campaign.

The daily Star (08.07.2020) A virtual court in Dhaka today placed seven officials and employees of Regent Group on a five-day remand each in a case filed overissuing fake Covid-19 test results and charging patients for the test and treatment. They charged patients for the tests and treatment despite having an agreement with the government on carrying out tests and providing treatment for free. 

The Daily Star (08.07.2020) 

The government is set to distribute 10-kilogramme rice for free to each of over one crore "ultra-poor and destitute families" ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

The food aid will be given to 1,00,06,869 vulnerable group feeding (VGF) card holders across the country to mitigate the consequences of disasters like flood and coronavirus outbreak.

According to the letter sent by the disaster management and relief ministry, the ultra-poor and destitute families will need to meet at least four out of 12 criteria, to become eligible for receiving the assistance.

The criteria include landless households or those who have only homestead; households dependent on daily wage labour; households dependent on women's income or begging; households with no income-generating assets; households headed by widowed, divorced or separated women; households headed by a freedom fighter with disability, and households without access to two full meals a day for most of the year.

Only one beneficiary per household can receive the food aid, which will be distributed by local public representatives.

The Daily Star (30.06.2020) The government of Bangladesh has taken several positive measures to cope with the current crisis. On 7 April 2020, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced special insurance and stimulus for healthcare workers (HCWs) and other employees of the republic for their frontline roles in the fight against coronavirus. Special incentives include health insurance of Tk 5-10 lakh (according to rank), and the amount will be five times higher if anyone is at higher risk of death or dies from the virus. Also, the government will bear the treatment cost of frontline medical staff contracting the virus while on duty. 

Dhaka Tribune (10.05.2020) The government has decided to bear the operational costs of undersigned private hospitals treating Covid-19 patients. Medical professionals and others working at these hospitals will be paid by the government.   

However, private medical professionals will not be eligible for the same financial facilities as government employees. Government medical professionals are set to receive bonus salaries and will also get monetary aid if they contract or die from Covid-19.

Orbitax News (10.04.2020) A deferral of the payment of taxes and social insurance contributions on employee salaries and wages for the months of March, April, and May 2020, which can be deferred up to 4 January 2021, with the possibility of payment in up to 24 monthly installments. To qualify, it is required that companies have not reduced their number of employees by more than 10% between 15 March and the date the Regulations entered into force (10 April 2020).