loopnewsbarbados.com (21.03.2020) For those employers who are prepared to retain three-quarters of their workforce even if some are on short-week, they can defer the employers’ contribution for three months in the first instance with a preparation to extend for another three months if the crisis goes beyond.

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.

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.

institutmontaigne.org (15.07.2020) Les programmes de maintien dans l'emploi ont été l'un des principaux outils politiques utilisés dans de nombreux pays de l'OCDE pour contenir les retombées sociales et sur l'emploi de la crise du Covid-19. Leur usage était sans précédent : en mai 2020, les programmes de maintien dans l'emploi ont soutenu environ 50 millions d'emplois dans l'OCDE, soit environ dix fois plus que pendant la crise financière mondiale de 2008/2009. Quels ont été les effets de ces dispositifs ?

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. 

TDM(17.06.2020) The government started issuing the 15,000 patacas anti-epidemic assistance subsidy to qualified employees and freelancers via automatic bank transfer method. The beneficiaries who did not register to the bank automatic transfer to receive assistance payments will receive crossed cheques by mail starting from the 18th of this month. 

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.

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.