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.

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.

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.