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Statement about measures with positive impact

State of New Hampshire Emergency Energy Assistance Programs

Through the “State of New Hampshire Emergency Energy Assistance Programs,” funding of 35 million USD was made available “for emergency energy assistance for New Hampshire residents . . .  to help with high energy prices this fall and winter,” taking into consideration “higher energy bills due to the current high energy prices” resulting from “an energy supply crunch brought about by increased energy usage as the economy recovers from the COVID pandemic, uncertainties in supply stemming from the ongoing war in Ukraine, and growing inflation.”

The Cabinet has Approved the Extension of the Credit Limit Approval Period for the EXIM Biz Transformation Loan Project from 31 July 2022 to 30 June 2023

The government extended “the approval period for the EXIM [Export-Import Bank of Thailand] Biz Transformation Loan project of the Export-Import Bank of Thailand” through June 2023. The program is designed to “help entrepreneurs affected by COVID-19 [who] want to improve machines or invest in new machines and increase the efficiency of the production process [and] for entrepreneurs who are starting to recover to continue to do business with the cost of interest rates that can compete with the world market.” The program is available for “[e]ntrepreneurs of all business sizes . . .  in every industry” and focuses “on new target industries . . .  [and] industries affected by COVID-19.”

Royal Degree – Law 11/2020, of March 31 which Adopts Urgent Complementary Measures in the Social and Economic Field to Confront COVID-19 (Real Decreto-ley 11/2020, de 31 de marzo, por el que se adoptan medidas urgentes complementarias en el ámbito social y económico para hacer frente al COVID-19)

Noting that the COVID-19 health crisis “is having a direct impact on the economy and on society” and that in such “exceptional circumstances . . . the political economy should be oriented to . . . help the most vulnerable,” the government put in place a decree containing several provisions relating to housing. These include the suspension of eviction procedures, extensions of lease contracts, rental debt moratorium, and a Rental Aid Program. A judge will assess whether individuals are eligible for these measures based on, among other things, need and vulnerability as well as a report from social services

United States v. Allen, 34 F. 4th 789 (9th Cir. 2022)

The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reviewed a district court decision that, “at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, prohibited members of the public from attending the defendant’s suppression hearing and trial and rejected the defendant’s request for video-streaming of the proceeding.” The Appeals Court found “that the court’s COVID protocols in this case violated the defendant’s public trial right.”

Recommendations of the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities for Local Governments in Connection with the COVID 19 Disease (Odporúčania Úradu splnomocnenkyne vlády SR pre rómske komunity pre samosprávy v súvislosti s ochorením COVID 19)

The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) launched a map portal to coordinate assistance needed by members of the Roma community and to enable organizations and individuals to register to provide targeted aid. In addition, ÚSVRK issued a publication containing recommendations targeted at local governments. The recommendations address support in the following categories: basic living needs and social assistance, information, education, and security, relationships and social support, management and coordination of services, and additional support.

Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is an extension of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) which provided “a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income households,” including “[u]p to $50/month discount for broadband service and associated equipment rental” and “[u]p to $75/month discount for households on Tribal lands.” The EBB was scheduled to “end once the program funds [were] exhausted, or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declare[d an end to the pandemic, whichever comes first.” Subsequently, in November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was enacted, providing funding “to modify and extend” EBB “to a longer-term broadband affordability program called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).” ACP provides “$30 per month for households not located on qualifying Tribal lands” and continues to provide “$75/month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.”

Providing School Meals During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Updated guidance contains provisions for providing meals during the pandemic, including among other categories: “providing meals for pupils attending school,” “support for pupils who have to stay at home,” “providing lunch parcels through the school catering team or food provider,” “free meals for further education students,” and  “expansion of the holiday activities and food programme.”

The Ministry of Justice Does Not Execute Deportation and Investigation to Encourage Foreign Nationals to be Tested and Get COVID Vaccination

According to the Ministry of Justice, “[f]oreign nationals without a registration number (incl. illegal residents) can book their vaccination through a temporary code, which can be obtained by presenting their passport at a healthcare centre. Temporary code is issued to those holding an expired passport, expired residence card, (an) identification document(s) issued by diplomatic missions in Korea . . . ” and “[n]o information of illegal residents is relayed to immigration authorities.” This information is conveyed in several languages on the Ministry of Justice, Korea Immigration Service website.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi Approves the Resumption of Identity Document (ID) Applications and Extends the Validity Period of Different Categories of Temporary Visas

The Minister of Home Affairs “approved the resumption of Identity Document (ID) and passport applications and extended the validity period of legally issued visas or asylum permits which expired during the lockdown period to 31 December 2021.” This extension applies to, among others, “holders of asylum seeker visas/permits or refugee status” who “are permitted to remain in the country under the conditions of their visas until the expiry of their applicable extension.” In addition, validity of “asylum and refugee permits that expired during the lockdown and whose holders could not use the online extension services” will be considered valid until December 31, 2021.

Recover Portugal, Building the Future: Recovery and Resilience Plan (Recuperar Portugal, Construindo o Futuro: Plano de Recuperação e a Resiliência)

The Ministry of Planning’s Recovery and Resilience Plan was enacted as an “instrument . . . to mitigate the economic and social impact of the [COVID-19] crisis.”  It contains a “component [that] aims to rehabilitate and make buildings more energetically efficient” to, among other things, achieve “social, environmental and economic benefits for people and businesses.” The goals of the program include: “reducing greenhouse gas emissions by greatly reducing significant energy consumption” and the “reduction of energy poverty.” The Vale Eficiência program, which is “part of Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan,” forms “part of a set of measures aimed at combating energy poverty” in order to, among other things, increase the “energy and environmental performance” of buildings. The program “intend[s] to deliver 100,000 ‘efficiency vouchers’ to economically vulnerable families by 2025, worth €1,300 plus VAT (Value Added Tax) each, so that they can invest in improving the thermal comfort of their home.” It “also intends to stimulate economic and social development, with the involvement of local and national companies, which will provide services to families under this programme, boosting the recovery of the economy, the generation of wealth and the job creation.”

Superintendency Resolution No. 000170-2021-Migrations (Resolución de Superintendencia No. 000170-2021-Migraciones)

Accounting for various “limitations and measures” due to the “state of health emergency declared by the Peruvian State due to COVID-19,” this measure contains provisions including: extending “the term of temporary or resident immigration status” that was first granted in March 2020, allowing “foreigners with an irregular immigration situation as of October 22, 2020 . . . [to] request their immigration regularization,” and “[g]rant[ing] a period of fifteen (15) calendar days” following the Resolution’s publication “to foreigners who have an exit order pending execution due to denial of their request for change or extension of migratory status, in order that they comply with leaving the national territory.”

Helping People Who Use Substances During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Recognizing that “[t]he COVID-19 pandemic is adding to the ongoing public health crisis related to high rates of overdose and deaths, as well as acute substance use harms,” Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada are “taking a number of targeted actions to reduce the risk of harm for people who use substances” such that “people who use substances can continue to access treatment and harm reduction services during the pandemic.” These measures include “[i]mproving access to overdose prevention services,” “[f]acilitating access to medications,” “[p]roviding guidance and awareness on changes to accessing medication,” [a]ddressing the urgent needs in Indigenous communities,” and “[c]onnecting Canadians with mental health and substance use supports.”

Overview of Support Funds for Non-Profit 0rganization – Support Fund (Unterstützungsfonds für Non-Profit-Organisationen im Überblick)

The “NPO support fund” provides grants in the form of cash for organizations, including “non-profit organizations . . . that are officially closed due to the lockdown” to enable them to “survive” through the pandemic and “continue to fulfill social tasks.” Given that “numerous clubs are still suffering from the economic consequences of the Corona crisis, the NPO support fund will be extended by the 1st and 2nd quarter of 2021.”

Senate Bill 21-009 Concerning the Creation of a Reproductive Health Care Program, and, in Connection Therewith, Providing Contraceptive Methods and Counseling Services to Participants and Making an Appropriation

This bill in Colorado notes that “[d]uring the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial that family planning services remain accessible while keeping providers and patients safe,” that “[t]he needs of various populations must be considered, including adolescents, essential workers, and those who face issues around childcare, transportation, and affordability,” and that “providers may want to implement alternative models for providing contraception, including telehealth and pharmacy-prescribed contraceptives.” This measure establishes a reproductive health care program “that provides contraceptive methods and counseling services to participants” including by “ensuring the participant is offered at least a one-year supply” of contraceptives.

Updated Nationally Determined Contributions

The Climate Change Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment launched its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) “review process” in 2020, presenting, “as Party to the Paris Agreement . . . its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) . . .  reflecting progressive and the highest possible ambition for climate action.” The report contains references to COVID-19 including: that the pandemic “significantly impacted Sri Lanka’s economy” and that the government “committed to a green development framework around the key environmental issues that impact Sri Lanka” with “concrete areas of investment Sri Lanka could potentially consider during post-Covid recovery situation, which have been discussed during the NDC revision process,” that because of “restrictions on physical meetings imposed to control the spread of Covid-19 through March-May 2020, virtual meetings and discussions were held with all working groups and the core NDC team” with the draft subsequently “presented to wider groups of stakeholders (by sector) . . . when restrictions were relaxed enabling physical meetings and discussions,” and that “post-Covid tourism development will need to give due recognition to climate risks such as rising temperatures, sea-level rise and increasing natural disasters.”

Supreme Court of India, Writ Petition No. 154 of 2020, Vinod Dua versus Union of India & Ors.

The Supreme Court quashed the FIR (first information report) that had been brought against journalist Vinot Dua in June 2020 while rejecting “the prayer that no FIR be registered against a person belonging to media with at least 10 years of standing unless cleared by the Committee as suggested.” The complaint had claimed that “in his show namely The Vinod Dua Show on YouTube,” Dua had “made unfounded and bizarre allegations” including that “the government does not have enough testing facilities and has made false statements about the availability of the Personal Protective Kits (PPE) and has stated that there is no sufficient information on those” and that he “circulated these rumours with the intent to defeat the Lockdown by creating an impression that there is a complete failure of the institution and it will become hard to survive this lockdown, if not acted upon immediately.” The FIR claimed that these acts constituted the punishable offence of sedition as well as “printing or engraving a matter which is defamatory to any person” under the Indian Penal Code. The Court decided that the offence of sedition, “going by the allegations in the FIR and other attending circumstances” was “not made out at all and any prosecution in respect thereof would be violative of the rights of the petitioner guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.”

IPIB Information on Open Meetings/Public Records & COVID-19

According to this directive, the Governor will “continue to temporarily suspend” provisions of the Iowa Code “imposing a requirement to hold a public meeting or hearing, to the extent that the statutes could be interpreted to prevent a governmental body from holding the meeting by electronic means.” The “governmental body” is required to provide “a telephone conference number or website address that permits the public to participate in the meeting or hearing.” This followed March 2020 guidance regarding requirements to be met for the holding of electronic meetings including  that “public access to the conversation of the meeting must be available.”

Nationwide “JaanHaiToJahaanHai” Campaign

The Ministry of Minority Affairs which works to “ensure a more focused approach towards issues relating to the notified minority communities” worked with “socio-educational organisations, NGOs and Women Self Help Groups” to “launch[] a nationwide ‘JaanHaiToJahaanHai’ campaign to create awareness on Corona vaccination in rural and remote areas of the country.”

COVID-19 Contract Information

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)’s website “disclos[es] supplier names and contract values for contracts that it has entered into on behalf of other government departments and agencies for PPE and medical/laboratory equipment and supplies,” with some exceptions, for the purpose of “provid[ing] Canadians with information relating to Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” PSPC’s website also links to the government’s “Proactive disclosure” website which contains “Proactively published government information for transparency and accountability” as well as its “Procuring vaccines for COVID-19” website which contains information on “Vaccine agreements with suppliers.”

Supreme Court of India, Writ Petition No. 154 of 2020, Vinod Dua versus Union of India & Ors.

The Supreme Court quashed the FIR (first information report) that had been brought against journalist Vinot Dua in June 2020 while rejecting “the prayer that no FIR be registered against a person belonging to media with at least 10 years of standing unless cleared by the Committee as suggested.” The complaint had claimed that “in his show namely The Vinod Dua Show on YouTube,” Dua had “made unfounded and bizarre allegations” including that “the government does not have enough testing facilities and has made false statements about the availability of the Personal Protective Kits (PPE) and has stated that there is no sufficient information on those” and that he “circulated these rumours with the intent to defeat the Lockdown by creating an impression that there is a complete failure of the institution and it will become hard to survive this lockdown, if not acted upon immediately.” The FIR claimed that these acts constituted the punishable offence of sedition as well as “printing or engraving a matter which is defamatory to any person” under the Indian Penal Code. The Court decided that the offence of sedition, “going by the allegations in the FIR and other attending circumstances” was “not made out at all and any prosecution in respect thereof would be violative of the rights of the petitioner guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.”

IPIB Information on Open Meetings/Public Records & COVID-19

According to this directive, the Governor will “continue to temporarily suspend” provisions of the Iowa Code “imposing a requirement to hold a public meeting or hearing, to the extent that the statutes could be interpreted to prevent a governmental body from holding the meeting by electronic means.” The “governmental body” is required to provide “a telephone conference number or website address that permits the public to participate in the meeting or hearing.” This followed March 2020 guidance regarding requirements to be met for the holding of electronic meetings including  that “public access to the conversation of the meeting must be available.”

CDC COVID-19 Funding for Tribes

“As of June 15, 2021, CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has provided $219.5 million to tribal nations, consortia, and organizations for responding to COVID-19 across tribal communities.” Of this amount, $152.8 million had the following stated purpose: “To support tribes and tribal organizations in carrying out surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity, infection control, mitigation, communication, and other COVID-19 preparedness and response activities.” As of August 2020, the “recipients and reach” of this included 346 tribal recipients.

2021 COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprises

“A funding of €10 million [was] announced for the COVID-19 Stability Fund for 2021.” The Fund builds on an earlier fund and is “open to all Community and Voluntary organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises providing certain critical services to the most at need in our society.” It is “focused on organisations providing supports and services in” sectors including: “health and social care,” “child and family services, “domestic/sexual/gender based violence,” “housing/homelessness,” “community service,” and the “community education sector.”

COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

Given, among other factors, that “[f]ollowing the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, there has been a dramatic increase in hate crimes and violence against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders,” this law requires, among other provisions, that the Attorney General: “designate an officer or employee of the Department of Justice whose responsibility . . . shall be to facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes . . . and reports of any such crime to Federal, State, local, or Tribal law enforcement agencies” and “issue guidance for State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies” on how to “establish online reporting of hate crimes or incidents . . . ,” collect disaggregated data on “protected characteristics,” and “expand public education campaigns aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes and reaching victims.”

Government of Spain Extends Temporary Lay-off Plans and Special Aid to the Self-Employed until 30 September

“The Council of Ministers has approved the Royal Decree-Law to defend employment and economic reactivation and to protect the self-employed.” This measures “includes the extension of the Temporary Lay-off Plans (ERTE) until 30 September 2021.” Other measures that will remain in place include: “the express prohibition on dismissing workers from companies using ERTEs due to COVID” and “extraordinary benefits for self-employed workers who are unable to carry out their normal activity.” The extension also applies to “the flexibility measures” in Royal Decree-Law 2/2021 and “extraordinary measures for workers’ unemployment protection” in Royal Decree-Law 30/2020. The Temporary Lay-Off plans had also been extended previously in May 2020, June 2020, September 2020, and January 2021.

NEC to Announce the Special COVID-19 Prevention Measures for the April 7th Re and By-Election

The National Election Commission (NEC) “announced that, they prepared the special COVID-19 prevention measures to ensure the voters’ safety for the upcoming re and by-election on the April 7th. Upon the foundation of the thorough management during the 21st National Assembly Elections last year without even one confirmed case, the NEC focused on guaranteeing the right to vote and exercise of the right to vote for the election this time as well.”

e-Litigation Platform- to Ensure Uninterrupted Access to Justice

Bhutan’s judiciary launched an “e-Litigation platform” in order “enable virtual hearing of cases” for the purpose of “ensur[ing] uninterrupted access to justice particularly for remote, far-flung communities during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.” The platform “will be piloted in seven courts covering 26 benches” including “the Supreme Court, the High Court, and the Sakteng Dungkhag Court among others” and “will be integrated with the existing community services” to “make access to judicial services easier for the people in rural communities.”

FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock has Notified ACOG [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists] and SMFM [Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine] that the Agency will “Exercise Enforcement Discretion” Regarding Mifepristone though the Duration of the COVID19 Public Health Emergency

The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in a letter that it “intends to exercise enforcement discretion during the COVID-19 PHE [public health emergency] with respect to the in-person dispensing requirements of the Mifepristone REMS [Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy] Program” and “to exercise enforcement discretion during the COVID-19 PHE with respect to the dispensing of mifepristone through the mail either by or under the supervision of a certified prescriber, or through mail-order pharmacy when such dispensing is done under the supervision of a certified prescriber.” The FDA’s determination was “effective immediately.” Subsequently, on December 16, 2021, the FDA announced “modifications to the Mifepristone REMS Program” consisting of the following: “[r]emoving the requirement that mifepristone be dispensed only in certain healthcare settings, specifically clinics, medical offices, and hospitals (referred to as the ‘in-person dispensing requirement’)” and “[a]dding a requirement that pharmacies that dispense the drug be certified.”

Launch and Dissemination of Policy Briefs and Infographics on Fulfillment of Women’s Constitutional Rights, Impacts and Policies and Women’s Resilience in the Time of the Covid-19 Pandemic

The National Commission on Violence against Women “responded to the situation of violence and the handling of violence against women in the era of the Covid 19 pandemic . . . by carrying out quantitative studies and qualitative studies.” These studies resulted in three policy briefs and a publication entitled “‘Designing’ Strategies in Uncertainty.” The policy briefs, each of which focus on different topics related to women, contain a series of recommendations. Policy Brief 1 on “Fulfillment of the Constitutional Rights of Women Victims of Domestic Violence in the COVID-19 Pandemic and The New Normal” includes a section on “Findings from Qualitative Study on the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on The Service Providers for Women Victims of Violence” and includes a recommendation for Safe Houses to be “supported by ministries/agencies.” Policy Brief 2 on the topic of “Looking at the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Restriction Policy Through Indonesian Women’s Perspective” contains a section on “Vulnerable target groups in social security programs” and recommends that the government budget support women’s crisis centres. Policy Brief 3, entitled “Women’s Resilience in Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” contains “four case studies . . .  to illustrate women’s resilience . . . during the COVID-19 pandemic” and includes a recommendation to “[i]ncrease the competence of women’s organizations by engaging with government officials from villages in the rural area or neighbourhood/community units in the urban area, up to the national level.” The “‘Designing’ Strategies in Uncertainty” publication is a compilation of “a series of studies on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the corresponding policies for its management on the condition of women.” To compile this information, the National Commission on Violence against Women conducted online surveys, focus group discussions, and literature reviews towards the goal of “better understand[ing] the impact of the pandemic and its related management policies on women’s lives.”  The publication contains short-term, mid-term, and long-term recommendations directed at a number of different government agencies and ministries.

Covid-19 – Extension Of Visas & Grant Of Permission To Stay Residence Permits/Occupation Permits Holders

This Communiqué notes that “[t]aking into consideration of the resurgence of the COVID 19 cases in Mauritius, the Government has decided that foreigners whose visas and Residence Permits/ Occupation permits are expiring during the period ending 31 March 2021 and who are not being able to leave the country, be exceptionally granted an extension of their visas and permission of stay respectively until 31st May 2021 or upon upliftment of the restrictions whichever is the earliest,” further noting that “foreigners in this situation will not be considered as illegal.”

Bhutan Vaccination Program

As of April 2021, according to a government press brief, 93.69% of the “eligible population” had been vaccinated (472,139 people). On March 25, 2021, “400,000 doses of Covishield vaccine . . .  was officially handed over” to Minister of Health Dasho Dechen Wangmo and the vaccines were immediately “distributed in all 20 districts” by “choppers and airplanes” for some areas of the country and “transported in refrigerated vans” elsewhere. There were “1001 vaccination centers and 45 doctors . . .  identified and deployed across the country.” Key features of the vaccination program included that “[t]he government coordinated its approach and reached out to all of these remote communities often by helicopter, with vaccines, which were then often distributed on foot by health workers, sometimes walking from village to village, through ice and snow” and that volunteers “support[ed] the Ministry of Health . . . with logistical support for vaccination programmes.”

Statement by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Konstantinos Petridis in a joint press conference with the Ministers of Labor, Welfare and Social Insurance and Health

The government has provided different types of economic support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: in July 2020, this took the form of “one-time state support of € 100 million . . .  to 30,000 companies and self-employed persons to cover their operating expenses, such as rents and installments to deal with the effects of the pandemic;” in November 2020, “the second one-off package was given due to targeted restrictive measures in Limassol and Paphos;” and in February 2021, “the third one-off plan of € 200 million was announced for all companies and self-employed workers affected by the pandemic.” As of March 2021, the “total support package, together with the other targeted measures to support the economy and employees” amounted to € 1.6 billion. Also in March, the government announced “a new support package of the economy” that “is targeted and concerns companies and self-employed people who continue to be affected due to the restrictive measures.”

Arizona Department of Education Announces $1.5 Million Dollars to Fund Final Mile Project

“Federal relief and recovery funds available to [the Arizona Department of Education] will fund high-speed internet infrastructure to homes located in six geographically diverse rural areas of Arizona. The project aims to create sustainable long-term solutions to the digital divide by capitalizing on existing infrastructure to connect families to affordable high-speed internet. The Final Project brings internet equity to rural students and families who have either no home internet, slow internet, or unaffordable internet.”

Circular Letter About Waste and Waste Management from Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Treatment (Surat Edaran Tentang Pengelolaan Limbah Dan Sampah Dari Penanganan Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19))

This measure aims “to manage hazardous waste and waste in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and control and avoid the occurrence accumulation of hazardous waste and generated waste.” The legal basis for the measure includes, among others, government regulations “concerning the implementation protection and management of the environment” and “regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry.” For example, the measure orders “[d]isinfection or sterilization of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to be reusable.”

Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Extending Utility Shutoff Moratorium Through June 30, 2021

In this executive order, the governor noting that “many New Jersey residents continue to experience financial hardship as a result of the Public Health Emergency, which may hinder their ability to make payments for . . . water services” “order[s] and direct[s]” that: “No gas or electric public or municipal utility or privately or publicly owned water system shall discontinue any gas, electric, or water service to New Jersey residents, which includes all residential accounts and any accounts primarily serving residential customers, due to nonpayment unless the disconnection is to prevent or ameliorate a risk to public health or safety” and “[n]o gas or electric public or municipal utility or privately or publicly owned water system shall collect any fee or charge imposed for late or otherwise untimely payments or service reconnections that have accrued, and will continue to accrue, during the Public Health Emergency.” This order “shall remain in effect until June 30, 2021.”

National Policy on Radical Inclusion in Schools

The National Policy on Radical Inclusion in Schools, under the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education “provide[s] a roadmap for the day-to-day operations of schools and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education to ensure inclusion and positive experience for all students regardless of their status in society” including by removing “all infrastructural and systemic policy and practice impediments that limit learning for any child,” “creating an enabling and inclusive environment that eradicates stigma, harassment, intolerance and exclusion of any kind,” “increasing justice and equity in peoples’ lives and organisations,” and “emphasiz[ing] the inclusion of historically marginalised groups: pregnant girls and parent learners, children with disabilities, children from rural and underserved areas, and children from low-income families.” Among other things, the plan “defines the roles and responsibilities of government . . .  and schools in the management and coordination of each corresponding policy statement” and, “outlines the structures and plans that will be put in place to ensure that the policy is implemented, monitored, and reviewed effectively.” David Moinina Sengeh, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education of Sierra Leone has explained that Covid-19 “enabled” thinking about “how to do things differently, particularly for children who have been adversely affected, starting with building a more inclusive and equitable education system” and that this “inspired much of the direction and content” of the policy.

Fisheries Sector COVID-19 Recovery Project

According to this “draft for consultation and Stakeholder Comments,” from the Department of Fisheries, “India will implement material measures and actions so that the [Fisheries Sector COVID 19 Response and Recovery] Project is implemented in accordance with the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs).” Among other elements, this will include “regular monitoring reports on the environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) performance of the Project,” an “independent Environmental and Social Audit,” and “biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of living natural resources.”

Revised Phase Two Guidance Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): Guidance for Mass Gatherings

In the District of Columbia, while the guidelines prohibit “[i]ndoor gatherings of more than 10 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 50 people,” an exception to this order is: “First Amendment activities.” The guidelines also include a section on “actions you should take” noting that “[a]ctivities such as shouting or singing can create droplets that may spread the virus that causes COVID-19. Find alternative ways to express your message, such as through holding signs and using noise makers.”

 

 

 

H.R.1319 – American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

The law contains a section entitled “funding for water assistance program” under which funding “is appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services . . . for grants to States and Indian Tribes to assist low-income households, particularly those with the lowest incomes, that pay a high proportion of household income for drinking water and wastewater services, by providing funds to owners or operators of public water systems or treatment works to reduce arrearages of and rates charged to such households for such services.” Additionally, as part of the ‘homeowner assistance fund,” payment assistance is provided for water under certain circumstances.

Covid-19 – Extension Of Visas & Grant Of Permission To Stay Residence Permits/Occupation Permits Holders

This Communiqué notes that “[t]aking into consideration of the resurgence of the COVID 19 cases in Mauritius, the Government has decided that foreigners whose visas and Residence Permits/ Occupation permits are expiring during the period ending 31 March 2021 and who are not being able to leave the country, be exceptionally granted an extension of their visas and permission of stay respectively until 31st May 2021 or upon upliftment of the restrictions whichever is the earliest,” further noting that “foreigners in this situation will not be considered as illegal.”

Governor Hogan Announces $60 Million Pandemic Relief Grant Program for Child Care Providers

The Governor of Maryland “announced that licensed child care centers and registered family child care providers are eligible to apply for Child Care Pandemic Relief Fund grants to help meet increased operation costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.” This “program is in addition to previous efforts to support child care providers, including grants to support reopening efforts, sanitization, and personal protective equipment, as well as the essential personnel child care program.”

New Zealand, Labour Market Statistics (Disability): December 2020 Quarter

This data “provides comparisons between labour market measures for disabled and non-disabled people in New Zealand” and “includes labour market participation and employment rates as well as differences in wages and salaries received.” The Washington Group short set of questions on disability are included “to allow more regular data on how the economic consequences of COVID-19 have impacted disabled people, and to better monitor how they are faring over the COVID-19 recovery period.”

Chairman’s Eighth Set of Orders under G.L. c. 25, § 4B

A letter from the Chairman of the Department of Public Utilities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts addressed to, among others, “the investor-owned water distribution companies . . .  regulated by the Department of Public Utilities” ordered that “[u]ntil July 1, 2021, or you receive further communication under section 4B of chapter 25 of the General Laws, whichever comes first” these companies “shall not shut off gas, electric, or water service to any of their residential customers for failure to pay a bill or any portion of a bill the Companies issued to a customer” and “all communications to residential customers that discuss the shut off of gas, electric, or water service for failure to pay a bill or any portion of a bill the Companies issued to a customer shall (1) state that residential shutoffs for nonpayment shall not occur until or after July 1, 2021 and (2) list all payment and repayment programs and debt-forgiveness options available to residential customers.”

Ensuring Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Tajikistan

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Gender and Development, and the National Association of People with Disabilities, established five medical facilities “specializ[ing] in services for women with disabilities” where women “can get all of [their] sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial support needs met in one place.” These facilities contain medical rooms that are “equipped with basic medical supplies, including personal protective equipment, in order to provide safe and high-quality services to women with disabilities at no charge.” They aim to “ensur[e] that women with disabilities are able to receive the same sexual and reproductive health information and services as other women, including during the pandemic.”

Report on the Conduct of the 2020 Presidential and National Assembly Elections

The report, submitted “to the President of the republic and the National Assembly” following the 2020 Presidential and National Assembly Elections includes information regarding steps taken with respect to COVID-19 including: “special registration initiatives” such as extending operating hours at registration centers and creating “Covid19 Standard Operating Procedures.” The report also contains a section on “conducting election during the COVID 19 pandemic” which contains the following information: “[t]o mitigate possible risks clear public health measures and adequate health protection were provided at the Electoral Headquarters and all registration centres, prior to the election and at the polling stations,” “[a] high number of staff compared to previous elections was recruited and the collaboration of the various stakeholders engaged, in order to ensure not only a credible, free and fair election but equally a safe election,” “[g]reat emphasis, through education, was placed on the appropriate signage at the stations,” and “[t]he personnel reinforced the importance of sanitising and the wearing of masks at the polling stations. The significant increase in the number of staff and equipment required for conducting an election in the midst of a pandemic greatly impacted the election budget.” In addition, while there was “a lack of [election] observers . . . as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine regulations coming into Seychelles,” there were “two domestic observer groups” and “local diplomatic missions” that “were accredited as observers for the 2020 elections.”

Hundreds of Thousands More Laptops to Support Disadvantaged Pupils Learn at Home

As “[p]art of the Get Help with Technology Programme,” an additional 300,000 laptops and tablets, in addition to the already “700,000 laptops and tablets . . .  delivered to schools to date” were to be distributed to support “disadvantaged children and young people who need the most help with access to technology through the pandemic.” This program “sits alongside strengthened minimum standards for remote learning, with schools now expected to offer pupils online lessons and a set number of hours of high-quality remote education for pupils – increased from the government’s previous minimum expectations.”

Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill

The “Act of the Scottish Parliament to provide for measures relating to protection against coronavirus to apply to the ordinary general election for membership of the Scottish Parliament due to be held on 6 May 2021” includes, among other provisions, sections on “postal voting arrangements,” “power to provide for all-postal vote,” and “power to provide for polling on additional days.”

Economic Reform Program 2021-2023

This program consists of “Both monetary and fiscal measures . . . to give support to the Vulnerable and the Private Sector.” Regarding monetary measures: “the Supervisory Council of the Bank of Albania decided to ease monetary policy to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing interest rates.” With respect to fiscal measures, “support packages have been adopted for individuals and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with a combined value of ALL 45 billion.” These measures include, among others: “additional funding for the health sector,” “support of small businesses /self-employed that were forced to shut down activities,” and reallocation of funds “toward humanitarian relief for the most vulnerable.” Further, the program “includes 18 structural reforms” which include “energy market liberalisation, diversification of energy sources, transport, broadband connectivity, land consolidation, businesses environment, education and VET, employment and labour market, and social inclusion.”

Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngā Tika Hauātanga i te wā o te Urutā

Several institutions including the Independent Monitoring Mechanism, the Ombudsman, and the Human Rights Commission published a report which “reflects disabled New Zealanders’ experiences of the COVID-19 emergency and details areas where the Government did well, and where improvements are needed.” The report also addresses the tāngata whaikaha Māori (disabled Māori). The information contained in the report “is largely based on information from DPOs [Disabled People’s Organisations] and the experiences of their members during the COVID-19 emergency” including information gathered at public consultations and virtual meetings that “had enhanced flexibility to enable the participation of disabled people.”

Solar Power Naija

The Federal Government of Nigeria, “[t]o support the economic recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic . . . has launched an initiative as part of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) to achieve the roll out of 5 million new solar-based connections in communities that are not grid connected.” Among other elements, the initiative will “[e]xpand energy access . . . through the provision of Solar Home Systems (SHS) or connection to a mini grid” and “[i]ncentivize the creation of 250,000 new jobs in the energy sector.”