NHK (27.11.2020) The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that the exceptional treatment of Employment Adjustment Subsidy is extended to February 2021. The exceptional treatments include the increase of maximum amount of daily allowance to 15,000 yen per an employee. The Minister also implied that the treatment would be gradually reduced after March 2021. 

Help Age Asia (2020) As part of an Asia-Pacific regional initiative, HelpAge International and partner organisations are producing bimonthly briefs to summarise trends in the situation of older people and responses to their situation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Development Pathways (2020) The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a truly global shock: the necessary measures taken to control the spread of the virus have resulted in a major economic and human crisis. The crisis is unprecedented and requires unprecedented measures. By providing families with cash so that national consumption is increased, a fiscal stimulus should enable countries to lower the depth of any recession and, importantly, strengthen the speed of their economic recovery with the potential for higher economic growth.

UNDP (23.07.2020) This paper provides estimates for a Temporary Basic Income (TBI), a minimum guaranteed income above the poverty line, for vulnerable people in 132 developing countries. A TBI amounts to between 0.27 and 0.63 per cent of their combined GDPs, depending on the policy choice: i. top-ups on existing average incomes in each country up to a vulnerability threshold; ii. lump-sum transfers that are sensitive to cross-country differences in the median standard of living; or, iii. lump-sum transfers that are uniform regardless of the country where people live.

blogs.worldbank.org (02.07.2020) As South Asian countries intensify the fight against COVID-19, it is imperative that social protection programs, including cash transfers, food vouchers, unemployment benefits, pensions, wage subsidies, be at the forefront of the relief and recovery efforts.  In this scenario, two lessons stand out: First, investing in protection systems helps respond rapidly to crises. Second, assisting people in building resilience against future shocks is essential for a strong recovery. 

This technical guidance identifies 10 policy objectives for decision-makers, policy-makers and national or regional health authorities as they strive to prevent and manage the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care settings.

United Nations ESCAP (25.06.2020) South Asia, a subregion with nearly a quarter of world’s population but over a third of world’s people living in extreme poverty and hunger, has been impacted severely given the vast proportion of population living at the margins, fragmented coverage of social protection, pervasive informality in economic activities and employment, and wide gaps in public health infrastructure.

Development Pathways (May 2020) The COVID-19 crisis and its widespread impacts demonstrate the need to reform current social security systems in Asia.

UN Secretary-General Policy Brief: COVID-19 and the need for action on mental health

Key messages:

The problem:

ilo.org (25.03.2020) This brief outlines the implications of the Covid-19 crisis for national social protection systems and highlights specific social protection responses taken in countries in the Asia and Pacific region. It builds on a more comprehensive ILO Brief which offers policy considerations regarding the role of social protection in responding to the possible impacts of COVID-19 crisis.