BusinessLine (05.04.2020) Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday announced stimulus packages to the tune of Taka 72,750 crore (USD 8,573 million) to counter the adverse effects of coronavirus on the country’s economy.

The first packages involves Taka 30,000 crore to be provided to affected industries and service sector organisations as working capital through banks as low-interest loans. The commercial banks would provide the amount as loans from their own funds to concerned industries and enterprises on the basis of bank-client relations. The government would pay half of the interest amounts (4.50 per cent) to banks as subsidies to the affected enterprises, which would pay the rest of the interest (4.50 per cent). 

The second package small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including cottage industries, would get Taka 20,000 crore as working capital. A mechanism would be devised to send the amount to the SMEs as low-interest loans through banks which identically disburse amounts to the SMEs on the basis of bank-client relations while the government in this case would bear the greater share of the interest amount. The interest rate of this lending facility will be 9 per cent and the concerned industries and business organisations will pay 4 per cent interest of that loan, while the government will provide the remaining 5 per cent as subsidy.

The Norwegian government has introduced significant measures to support jobs, help businesses and people, and strengthen health services. Still, more may be needed in the coming weeks. The measures must be targeted, effective and reversible.

Ministry of Innovation and Technology (16.04.2020) From April 16, 2020, the Employment Protection Wage Subsidy will be available to support reduced working hours employment. An employee may receive support on the basis of an application submitted jointly with the employer to the county government office. In the program, the employer undertakes not to terminate the employee’s employment and pays wages for the employee’s working hours and individual development time. The employee agrees to perform work and is available to the employer during the individual development time.

Ministry of Innovation and Technology (15.04.2020) Highly skilled workers in the research, development and innovation (RDI) sector receive wage subsidies to protect their jobs. An important element of the government's economic action plan for the coronavirus epidemic is the retention of highly qualified professionals in the RDI sector, as this is essential for relaunching the economy: the support available from 15 April businesses. The government undertakes a wage subsidy of 40% for employees in the RDI sector for a period of three months, at the maximum amount of which is the average gross earnings measured in the sector.  The amount so awarded is paid to the employer, who must guarantee, in return for the grant, that the company will maintain its headcount. 

Recognizing the great challenge that governments, employers, workers and whole societies are facing worldwide to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Concern is growing over the continuing rise in COVID-19 infections in some parts of the world and the ability to sustain declining rates in others. Governments, employers, workers and their organizations face enormous challenges as they try to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and protect safety and health at work. Beyond the immediate crisis, there are also concerns about resuming activity in a manner that sustains progress made in suppressing transmission.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, focussing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to stimulate national tripartite dialogue on safety and health at work. The ILO is using this day to raise awareness on the adoption of safe practices in workplaces and the role that occupational safety and health (OSH) services play. It will also focus on the medium to long-term, including recovery and future preparedness, in particular, integrating measures into OSH management systems and policies at the national and enterprise levels.

The SafeDay report - In the face of a pandemic: Ensuring Safety and Health at Work  highlights the occupational safety and health (OSH) risks arising from the spread of COVID-19. It also explores measures to prevent and control the risk of contagion, psychosocial risks, ergonomic and other work-related safety and health risks associated with the pandemic. The ILO Centenary Declaration adopted in June 2019 declared that "safe and healthy working conditions are fundamental to decent work”. This is even more significant today, as ensuring safety and health at work is indispensable in the management of the pandemic and the ability to resume work.

stp-press.st (09.04.2020)

The São Tomé government through the Ministry of Labour and Solidarity, has decided to anticipate the payment of two bi-monthly payments [ 2,400 Dobras ] to mothers who are beneficiaries of the "Family Program" as a way to "alleviate" the negative impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic. The program involves 2,570 families (mainly mothers) in situations of extreme poverty.

Business Standard News (26.04.2020) The Union government is going to launch an online portal for the migrant workers in the unorganised sector impacted due to a national lockdown imposed to check the spread of Covid-19 in India. The portal, which has been tentatively named by the labour and employment ministry as the National Portal for Covid-19 Affected Unorganised Migrant Workers, will gather the details of all the unorganised sector workers who are stranded in relief camps, residential or industrial clusters. “The portal will allow the government to pass on relief benefits to the migrant workers — be it in the form of cash transfers or through other means,” a top labour ministry official said, requesting anonymity.

The Ministry of Labor (21.04.2020) In order to assist enterprises and workers affected by the COVID-19, the Ministry of Labor has expanded the "Charge Restart Training Program" since February 21st, subsidizing companies with training costs of up to 3.5 million yuan. The Ministry encourages enterprises to use this period to provide training with their employees . Workers participating in training courses can also receive a training allowance of RMB 158 per hour, with a maximum of 120 hours per month, and a maximum of RMB 18,960 per month.

The Ministry of Labor (27.04.2020) The Ministry of Labor relaxes eligibility of "Relaxed Real-Time Work Plan", and those with insurance records within one year can apply for the job opportunities provided by local governments and central authorities. The job includes document sorting, environmental cleaning, and epidemic prevention-related work, such as measuring temperature and disinfecting the environment. The maximum allowance is 12,640 yuan per month and maximum duration per person is 6 months.

Taiwan News (08.04.2020)Taiwan's phone-based tracking system to monitor quarantined people sought by multiple countries. 

The apparatus identifies a person’s whereabouts based on the location of his/her mobile phone relative to nearby cell towers, which reveals the distance of the phone from a specific cell reception tower and its direction in relation to the tower.

The electronic tracking system logs data including the number of people under quarantine, names of quarantine evaders, and those who have their phones turned off. Quarantined individuals venturing out will trigger alerts to health, police, and civil authorities, who will then respond.

stlucianic.org (09.04.2020)

To help workers navigate the economic hardship arising from COVID-19, the NIC has moved quickly to put measures in place to provide income support to contributors directly affected by the virus. The program is expected to cost anywhere from $40.1 million to $80.2 million over a three-month period covering the months of April, May and June. The NIC will pay 50% of insurable earnings (salary amount on which contributions is levied) subject to a minimum payout of $500 and a maximum of $1,500 monthly to persons unemployed as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Eligible beneficiaries are all individuals who contribute to the NIC who were in employment in February 2020 and are currently out of work as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Payments are done to Employees only, not Employers. Claimant must have contributed to the Fund for at least one month prior to February 2020 and the claimant is unemployed as a result of COVID-19. 
Additionally, 

24 April 2020 On the occasion of the World Day on Safety and Health at Work on 28 April, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) wants to pay tribute to all the courageous health workers who risk their lives to save others during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

politico.eu (24.04.2020) EU national leaders directed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to draw up plans for a new long-term financial blueprint for the bloc that would also drive an economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis with a combination of loans and grants. 

European Council (23.04.2020) On 23 April 2020 EU leaders discussed progress on the various dimensions of the European response to the COVID-19 outbreak. It was the fourth video meeting of this kind. The heads of state or government endorsed the agreement of the Eurogroup on three safety nets for workers, businesses and sovereigns, amounting to a package worth 540 billion euro. They called for the package to be operational by 1 June 2020.

Am 16. April 2020 hat das Bundesarbeitsministerium den Sars-CoV2-Arbeitsschutzstandard veröffentlicht. Eine Frage, die viele Unternehmen beschäftigt: Welche Anforderungen sind mit Blick auf die nach Arbeitsschutzgesetz vorgeschriebene Gefährdungsbeurteilung zu erfüllen? So haben Bund und Länder am 15. April beschlossen, dass "jedes Unternehmen in Deutschland auch auf Grundlage einer angepassten Gefährdungsbeurteilung sowie betrieblichen Pandemieplanung ein Hygienekonzept" umsetzen muss.

Was bedeutet das für den einzelnen Betrieb? Ist das Hygienekonzept eine zusätzliche Anforderung, die neben der Gefährdungsbeurteilung besteht? Müssen Unternehmen eine separate Dokumentation erstellen?

Die Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (DGUV) stellt dazu klar: Um die rechtlichen Anforderungen zu erfüllen, reicht es aus, die Hygienemaßnahmen einzuhalten, wie sie im SARS-CoV-2-Arbeitsschutzstandard beschrieben sind. Ergänzt und konkretisiert wird der Standard von branchenspezifischen Hilfestellungen der Berufsgenossenschaften und Unfallkassen. Ein darüber hinaus gehendes "Hygienekonzept" als eigenständiges Dokument ist für die Betriebe nicht erforderlich.

Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement (10.04.2020)  In order to promote mental health for people under stress due to Covid-19 quarantine isolation, the Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement provides psychosocial consultation services. Contact numbers are listed by state and region and available from 9:30 to 16:30.

nissvg.org (03.04.2020) Advanced Pension Payment covering 8 weeks of payments. Implementation is on April 3rd, 2020 for the 4-week period March 30th, 2020 to April 25th, 2020. This will be followed by a payment on April 30th, 2020, which will cover the 4-week period from April 27th, 2020 to May 23rd, 2020. Regular fortnightly payment will resume on June 5th, 2020.

nissvg.org (17.04.2020) The NIS has implemented the COVID-19 Emergency Unemployment Benefit for workers who have been laid-off as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a cap of XCD 2 million, with a fixed amount of $300.00 per month ($75.00 East Caribbean Dollars/USD $27 per week. ) and duration is earlier of 3 months  and date of exhaustion of funds. This help to provide financial support to approximately 2,000 households and prevent households from falling into poverty or severe deprivation. Also, it maintains a minimum income and expenditure levels.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare  (10.04.2010) Online medical care in the spread of Covid-19
Patients can receive medical examinations and prescriptions online or via telephone.
Patients are also able to get their prescribed medicines at home via courier after receiving instructions on their use from a pharmacist by telephone.

vlada.gov.hr (02.04.2020) The Government elaborated the April package of measures through several conclusions and decisions, as well as legislative proposals, such as amendments to the General Tax Law, the Budget Execution Act, and the Accounting Act, which it referred to for urgent parliamentary procedure. The government has thus decided to increase support for entrepreneurs in difficulties in preserving jobs by paying workers' salaries from HRK 3,250 to HRK 4,000 net.

businessinsider (22.04.2020)

• Unemployed South Africans will get R350 a month for the next six months the first benefit of its kind in the country.
• According to current data, some ten million South Africans could be entitled to the grant. 
• But it won't be enough to prevent hunger - SA's food poverty line is R561 a month.
• The so-called Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant of R350 a month will be paid to individuals who are currently jobless and do not receive any other form of social grant or Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) payment.

Ministry of Health (23.04.2020) TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS ON BASIC FRONTLINE RESPONDERS FOR COVID-19

As a part of the preparedness plan for the Worst Case COVID-19 situations, the Ministry of Health has been working on mapping out vulnerable populations, resources, and human resources in the country. According to the health human resource mapping, there are just over 3000 health personnel in the country. Should the country enter into the Red-Stage Plus, these 3000 plus health personnel will be, more or less, involved in clinical management of severe COVID-19 cases in the isolation of hospitals and other regular patients across the country.

Therefore, it is expected that there will be more demand for health professionals to manage the cases. In such a case, as deemed appropriate, on command of His Majesty the King, the Ministry of Health has planned to train around 300 volunteers from the Civil Service, Desuung and HOPE Volunteers as the Basic Frontline Responders for the COVID-19 situations.