Policy

The Argentine Government added COVID-19 to the list of diseases that health and lab workers must report to authorities. Detailed information must be provided, such as the suspected date of infection and the evolution of the disease.

The National Cabinet agreed to expand testing criteria to include all people with mild symptoms of COVID-19. It is expected that this measure will ensure cases are more quickly identified.

The Canadian Government approved an interim order to expedite review of medical devices, including test kits. The measure is intended to speed up the importation and sale of medical devices used to diagnose, treat or prevent COVID-19.

The German Government announced their support for the architectural concept of "Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing" because it follows a pan-European approach, provides for compliance with European and German data protection regulations, and stores only epidemiologically relevant contacts of the last three weeks anonymously on the user's mobile phone without recording the movement profile.

They asked everyone working on tracing-apps to use and build on this framework to ensure compatible solutions. They announced that both federal and state governments will ask citizens to use trancing-apps as soon as they are available, however, that this would contine to be on a voluntary basis.

The Government of India set up an Integrated Disease Surveillance Portal to better trace possible virus carriers and the people they contacted.

The Nepal Government is providing free testing to patients who health professions decide should be tested. This is particularly encouraged for people aged over 60 years old with signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

The Dutch government has purchased one million blood tests that can show whether a person has been infected with COVID-19.

The aim is to conduct random tests of the Dutch population to gain insight into the spread of COVID-19 in the Netherlands, and the extent to which antibodies are being developed by people who have had the virus.

The tests will be carried out by blood donation organization Sanquin.

The Dutch Government has introduced measures requiring mink farmers, veterinarians and research institutions to report any respiratory problems and increased mortality in minks. This comes as two farms were found to have COVID-19 in different minks.

The Government has launched investigations to determine the source of the infections. Mandatory reporting has also been required to prevent possible spread of the virus to other farms.

The Dutch Government has asked businesses and experts to help come up with ideas for the development and use of apps in tackling COVID-19. In particular, the Government sought digital solutions that would help people trace their whereabouts (e.g. if they have been around anyone infected with COVID-19), and make it easier to report on health issues and keep in touch with their doctor from home.

Around 750 responses were recieved and are currently being assessed. Proposals had to meet a series of specific requirements, including ensuring personal data were not stored centrally or traceable to individuals.

The Government will be announcing what the possible apps will look like in the week before 28 April 2020.

The New Zealand Government established a committee — the Contact Tracing Assurance Committee — to provide oversight of, and advise the government about, the country's COVID-19 contact tracing capability. The committee will advise on improvements to the system that the Ministry of Health is making following a recent audit.

The New Zealand Governerment began testing groups of asymptomatic people to ascertain possible spread of COVID-19 as part of a programme of sentinel testing to determine whether community transmission is occurring.

The new testing began with tests of 343 staff and customers at a Queenstown supermarket. As at 17 April, half of the tests had been processed and all processed results returned negative.

The New Zealand Government established a new contact tracing workforce, the National Close Contact Service (NCCS), based at the Ministry of Health in Wellington. As of 5 April 2020, there were 190 contact tracing staff.

The Pakistan Government procured and distributed 14 new Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test machines among the provinces.

Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that a cell had been set up at the Prime Minister’s Office to assess the trend of the COVID-19 virus. The cell is intended to help the government devise its future response.

The Pakistan Government announced that it will provide Rs25bn to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for medical and rescue equipment, such as testing kits and ventilators.

The NDMA is the lead agency coordinating the Pakistan Government’s COVID-19 response plan.

Separately, the Pakistan Government set aside Rs50 billion to provide financial support to medical staff, hire more staff, and for equipment, uniforms and protection. This funding is part of the RS1.25 trillion economic package announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan aimed at absorbing the adverse impacts of the pandemic.

The Pakistan Army deployed troops across the country to assist civilian authorities in containing the spread of Covid-19 at the request of the interior ministry. Troops have been deployed in all four provinces, and in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The troops will assist federal and provincial governments in enforcing containment measures, and will help with contact tracking, identification and isolation of suspected cases, and the management of 182 quarantine facilities that have been set up across the country.

The Ministry of Health has introduced health screening units at all its land ports.

The Government of South Africa established a COVID-19 information centre at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to track all screening, testing, isolation and hospitalisation throughout the country.

This measure was announced as part of a package of intensified public health measures along with an extension to the national lockdown.

The Government of South Africa Appointed a COVID-19 designate Judge under the terms of the Disaster Management Act.

The Designate judge is to be updated with weekly reports by the Director General of Health setting out the names and details of all persons whose locations and movements are being included in the national database of those suspected to have a COVID contact.

The Judge may make recommendations to cabinet as she sees fit in order to safeguard the right to privacy of these persons while ensuring the ability of the Department of Health to test and trace contacts.

The Government of South Africa expanded testing to focus on high density and high-risk areas. This measure was intended to complement the lockdown measure.

The Government of South Africa directed that in order to decrease the risk of further spread of COVID-19, contact tracing must be completed within 48 hours.

The Government of South Africa partnered with the private sector to set up a national tracking, tracing and monitoring system of all people infected with the coronavirus and those they have been in contact with.

The Korean government announced it would conduct COVID-19 tests on all members of the Shincheonji sect.

At the time of announcing the policy, 60 percent of all COVID-19 cases in South Korea were linked to a Shincheonji church in Daegu.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control announced that suspected cases, regardless of travel history, will be able to receive a COVID-19 test based on the medical staff’s decision.

Those hospitalized with pneumonia of unknown cause will receive COVID-19 testing in a negative-pressure room.

The Government of Spain imported around one million rapid COVID-19 detection tests to complement PCR tests in COVIC-19 high prevalence environments, such as hospitals, nursing homes and assisted-living homes.

The Central Epidemic Command Center is sending all international arrivals suffering from respiratory symptoms or a fever directly to special quarantine facilities after testing them for COVID-19 at the airport.

The Central Epidemic Command Center announced that travelers who arrived in Taiwan from the United States and East Asia between March 8 and March 18 and developed symptoms in that period to undergo home quarantine, and be tested for COVID-19 for retrospective investigation.

Taipei Mass Rapid Transit announced it would not allow passengers with a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher to board a train. An infrared system will be installed at some stations to measure passengers' temperatures.

The UK Government expanded access to more frontline workers and symptomatic members of their households.

Police, fire service, frontline benefits workers and those working with vulnerable children and adults are now able to access testing.

The UK Government created an online survey for people at home who thinks they may be displaying coronavirus symptoms.

The information gathered will assist the NHS to plan its response to the outbreak and provide insight into the development and progression of the virus across the country.

The UK Government began a COVID-19 testing programme for frontline NHS staff, involving borrowing testing equipment from universities, research institutes and businesses to establish new testing laboratories.

The UK government expanded powers to direct people to undergo screening and, if necessary, isolate from others. The powers can now be exercised by immigration officers, in addition to medical professionals, public health professionals and the police.

The UK Government provided powers for medical professionals, public health professionals and the police to require people to undergo screening and assessment and, if necessary, isolate from others for a certain period of time.

The UK Government directed Public Health England to trace people who had been to Wuhan in the past 14 days.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced the results of manufacturing a real-time RT-PCR kit for detection of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

The production capacity is about 10,000 sets per day, and capacity can be tripled if required.

The Ministry of Finance reduced sales taxes on breathing masks from 20% to 0% between April 13, 2020 and August 1, 2020.

The exemption applies to deliveries and intra-community acquisitions.

The Ministry of the Economy approved the zeroing of the Import Tax on 41 more products used to fight the pandemic of the new coronavirus in Brazil.

The Ministry of Economy approved the zeroing of the Import Tax rate for 61 more pharmaceutical and medical-hospital products used in the fight against Covid-19.

The Canadian Government announced plans to collaborate with Canadian comapnies to supply items needed by frontline health workers.

The collaborative projects include purchasing Canadian made ventilators through an accelerated process, research into the development of easy-to-produce ventilators with easily accessible parts, using alternative materials to augment to the supply of medical gowns, establishing and securing new supply chains to produce medical gowns from new Canadian sources, purchasing and producing masks for health care workers, and purchasing hand sanitizer from Canadian companies.

The French Government distributed masks from its national stock by designated pharmacies for free to professionals who fall into the following categories: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, dentists, midwives, providers of medical services and equipment, and employees at care centers for seniors or disabled people.
The ordinance specifies that the masks are to be delivered by wholesalers to pharmacies, who will then label the boxes of masks to be given to healthcare workers, and that these pharmacies will receive tax breaks.

The French Government set price controls on all brands of hand sanitiser. The set prices included taxes and vary by the volume of sanitizer being sold in a container. Prices set can be changed by the Economic Minister in the future within a certain range.

The French government announced that it was requisitioning the existing stock of masks and facilities for producing masks.

Of the 150 million masks in the country’s stockpile, all were taken out for use among health professionals in areas with a higher rate of infection.

The German Government established a procurement unit at the Federal Ministry of Health to coordinate short-term procurement of medical protective equipment.

The Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd provided Rs. 1,98,67,680 to the All India Institute Of Medical Science for procurement of 45 ventilators.

The Government of Iran called for an end to US-imposed sanctions against Iran.

The government stated that sanctions and trade restrictions had blocked the purchase of medicine and medical equipment.

This request was expanded upon in a 12 March letter to the UN Chief from the Iranian Foreign Minister.

No further details are recorded for this policy. Refer to the citations below for more information.

The Dutch Government has sent additional medical equipment, protective gear and medicines to the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten to help treat COVID-19 patients.

The additional resources has been aimed at enhancing capacity of the mobile hospital (so-called Hospitainer), which has been established with six independent intensive care units to help tackle COVID-19 in the Caribbean Netherlands.

Customs authorities in the Caribbean Netherlands has enforced tax exemptions for the import of personal protective equipment in tackling COVID-19.

Anyone or any business importing protective equipment for healthcare institutions will be exempt from having to pay the general expenditure tax (sales tax). Those wishing to sell such equipment will not receive an exemption.

The New Zealand Government established a fund of NZ$25 million to support the fast development of new products and services that could help to detect, diagnose, treat or prevent COVID-19.

The fund assists with research and development, prototyping and pre-production activities.

The fund, established in March, had paid NZ$6.75 million as at 6 May 2020. Projects funded included an antibodies test, a simple ventilator, and vaccine research.

The New Zealand Government provided NZ$200 million for purchasing personal protective equipment. The government is now distributing face masks through a national system.

The government has 20 million masks, 9.4 million pairs of gloves and 1.2 million aprons in stock. Orders worth NZ$140 million have been placed for 75 million items of PPE, including 17 million masks, more than 2 million gowns and coveralls and 13.8 million gloves.

The funding is drawn in part from the dedicated NZ$500 million health fund announced on 17 March 2020 and partly from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

The New Zealand Government entered a trade agreement with Singapore concerning continuing trade in essential COVID-19 related products.

The agreement lists more than 120 products on which both countries will undertake to remove tariffs, not to impose export restrictions and to remove non-tariff barriers to trade. The countries also undertake to keep supply chains operating effectively for the listed products.

The products include personal protective equipment, medical equipment, nutritional products, medicines and hygiene supplies.

The agreement is an 'open plurilateral' agreement which means other WTO member countries may join at any time. New Zealand and Singapore encourage other countries to join.

The agreement builds on a declaration made by New Zealand and Singapore on 21 March 2020.

The New Zealand Government has limited the supply of prescribed medicines that pharmacies can sell. Starting 27 March, prescriptions will only be available for one month’s worth at a time, or three months for oral contraceptives. Exceptions can be made for people who would find it difficult to regularly refill their prescriptions. This could include people with disabilities, or people who live in rural areas.

The changes are intended to stop stockpiling, and to ensure everyone can access medicine. There are no changes to the supply of medicine to pharmacies, or to the way prescriptions are issued by doctors to patients.

The New Zealand government and Singapore made a joint statement of their commitment to to keep supply chains open and to remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan approved the local manufacture of Chloroquine Phosphate-Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API).

Chloroquine is an anti-malaria drug that is being tested as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

This measure was taken to enable local manufacturers to meet the requirements of pharmaceutical companies that make chloroquine phosphate tablets, injections and syrups.

The National Disas­ter Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) provided Rs7.89 billion to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The NDRMF is a not-for-profit company owned by the Pakistan Government, and the NDMA is the lead agency coordinating the Pakistan Government’s COVID-19 response plan.

Part of the funding will come from a loan made to the NDRMF by the Asian Development Bank.

The funding will go toward measures to respond and minimise the impact of the pandemic by strengthening surveillance, improving case management, taking infection prevention measures, among other things.

Equipment that will be funded includes testing kits, viral RNA extraction kits, mobile X-ray machines, clinical ICU ventilators, syringe pumps, N95 masks, Tyvek suits (protection suits for health care staff), thermal guns and scanners

The Government of South Africa established a solidarity fund, into which businesses, organisations and people can donate money.

The fund will complement action taken by the government to stop the spread of COVID-19. It will support efforts to combat the spread of the virus, track the spread, care for those who are ill, and support those whose lives are disrupted.

The fund will be administered by a team drawn from financial institutions, accounting firms and the government. All expenditure will be published on the fund's website.

The Government has provided R150 million as an initial donation to the Fund.

On 9 April the fund allocated R1 billion for purchasing sterile gloves, face shields, surgical masks, test kits and ventilators.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that foreigners would now be able to purchase discounted masks under the public mask distribution scheme previously restricted to residents with National Health Insurance.

Effective April 20, foreign residents with an alien registration card or residence card will be able to purchase up to two masks per week at pharmacies and designated locations nationwide.

South Korea banned exports on protective masks, revising its earlier policy of a 10-percent export cap on daily mask output, effective through June 30.

In addition, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said it would aim to increase daily mask production to 14 million sheets, up from 10 million sheets. Of the total masks produced domestically, 80 percent would be allocated to public retail platforms.

The Swedish Government limited the amount of prescription drugs that can be collected to a three month supply per person.

The intention is to limit people stockpiling drugs and to ensure that there is an adequate supply of prescription drugs available for health services.

The decision was made by the Government on request from the Swedish Medical Products Agency.

Cabinet removed import duties for products related to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

This measure was announced as part of the second phase of the Thai Government’s economic stimulus programme, totalling B117 billion.

The UK Government announced a specification of the minimally clinically acceptable Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) system to be used in UK hospitals.

The UK Government began granting exemptions from medical device regulations to fast-track approval of devices during the coronavirus outbreak.

The UK Government requested proposals for rapid sanitising technology for ambulances which have carried COVI-19 patients.

The UK Government requested support from business in the production and supply of ventilators and ventilator components.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a resolution on the exports of medical masks amid the COVID-19 prevention and control period, in which he allowed the abolition of the regulation on applying the export licensing regime to medical masks.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has tasked the Ministry of Health and local authorities to promptly review, re-evaluate and inspect bidding packages for the procurement of medical supplies for combatting COVID-19.

The bidding packages range from medical equipment, drugs, face masks to testing kits and ventilators.

Those who violate bidding regulations will be strictly fined.

The Ministry of Health applied the export licensing regime for medical masks to allow export only for the purpose of national assistance, allowing a maximum 25 percent of output for export and 75 percent of output for domestic disease prevention and control.

The above provisions shall not apply to export activities of export-processing enterprises which have been granted investment certificates and medical mask-processing enterprises to foreign traders that have signed processing contracts before 1 March 2020.

The Argentine Government introduced online training to teach healthcare workers critical COVID-19 treatments involving ventilators, intubations and extubations. Both entry level and advanced training is available.

The irish Government established a scheme to mobilise community organisations and volunteers, called The Community Call.

The purpose of the Community Call is to coordinate community activity and direct community and voluntary assistance to where it is needed.

The scheme’s immediate focus was assistance for the elderly and vulnerable. The scheme is overseen by a group from the Department of The Taoiseach, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Department of Health, and the County and City Management Association.

The Community Call is managed locally by local authorities, led by the county chief executives. A dedicated phone line is now operational in every county and the national number 0818 222 024 is also now in operation.

The Nepal Government suspended leave and other assignments for health services.

The government also announced that health workers that obstruct the COVID-19 response will be investigated and reprimanded.

The Dutch Government has announced a new model for distributing protective gear to healthcare providers, based on their need and risk of contamination, rather than equal distribution across all healthcare providers.

The new model will take effect from 13 April 2020, initially for mouth masks and then for other protective equipment. When new masks become available they will be distributed to places where they are needed the most, such as hospitals, nursing homes, mental health facilities and other places where patients are undergoing intensive care for COVID-19.

The new model is in response to concerns about the availability of protective gear for all healthcare professionals. It is intended to provide a targeted approach to ensuring those at the highest risk of contact and contamination to COVID-19 have necessary protection.

The Minister for Planning and Special Initiatives announced that the Pakistan Government would start providing personal protective equipment directly to hospitals.

Equipment would be provided to hospitals on a priority basis. Supply will begin on 9 April 2020.

The government had earlier announced that it had set aside funding for personal protective equipment.

The UK Government expanded access to more frontline workers and symptomatic members of their households.

Police, fire service, frontline benefits workers and those working with vulnerable children and adults are now able to access testing.

The UK Government began a COVID-19 testing programme for frontline NHS staff, involving borrowing testing equipment from universities, research institutes and businesses to establish new testing laboratories.

The UK Government allowed regulators to register suitable people as regulated healthcare professionals, such as nurses, midwives or paramedics.

Recently retired professionals and students near the end of their training, among other groups, will be able to be registered and provide health services. Social services regulators will likewise be able to temporarily register former social workers.

The government also suspended various rules that limited the amount of work retired NHS staff could do.

The policy is intended to increase the NHS staff to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The change was made as a part of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

The Ministry of Health authorized doctors to make online prescriptions for certain medicine to help people comply with the mandatory self-isolation period. Chronic and non-transmissible diseases may be prescribed through this system. Whatsapp, E-mail and Fax are some of the platforms that may be used.

The Argentine Government modified the 2020 National Administration’s Budget to increase funding for the Ministry of Health to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federal government is providing AUD$74 million to support mental health and wellbeing services.

Funding is also allocated to the government’s digital mental health portal, Head to Head, which is to become a single source of authoritative information and guidance on how to maintain good mental health.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) began assisting state and territory governments to undertake quarantine compliance checks of those required to be in mandatory isolation after returning from overseas, liaising closely with local police.

These requirements built on the existing role of the ADF. The range of support now includes contact tracing efforts, industry support for surgical masks production, provision of planning and logistics support to all levels of government, provision of personnel to government agencies, and support for the production of food hampers to supply isolated civilians.

ADF assistance was provided under the arrangements of the Defence Assistance to the Civil Community.

The Ministry of Economy Health transferred (R $ 8 billion), State Participation Fund (FPE) and Municipal Participation Fund (FPM) recomposition (R $ 16 billion), and Social Assistance Budget (R $ 2 billion) as part of a cooperation package for states and municipalities to combat Covid-19.

The Canadian Government announced CA$7.5 million in funding to Kids Help Phone for additional counsellors and volunteers to provide mental health support to Canadian youth.

Kids Help Phone is a 24/7 national support service that offers “professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support” to young people in Canada.

The French Government allocated €2 billion to hospitals for the purchase of materials, such as masks, and to increase employees’ pay.

The German Parliament passed a law to financially support hospitals, which are preparing for an increase in COVID-19 patients. Bed capacities are being increased and additional intensive care treatment options created.

The Covid-19 Hospital Relief Act contains a number of measures to secure the financing of hospitals and ensure that they remain solvent. For postponed plannable operations and treatments, hospitals receive financial compensation from the liquidity reserve of the Health Fund. This is refinanced from the federal budget.

Until the end of September, hospitals will receive a flat rate of 560 euros per day for each bed that is kept free. For each additional intensive care bed that the hospitals create, they will receive a bonus of 50,000 euros.

For additional costs, especially for personal protective equipment, hospitals will receive a temporary bonus of 50 euros per patient. It can be extended and raised if necessary. The provisional nursing fee will be increased by around 38 euros to 185 euros per day.

The Covid 19 Hospital Relief Act passed by the German Parliament contains regulations to ensure nursing care and to reduce the risk of infection for those in need of nursing care and all employees working in nursing care.

The additional financial expenditure or reduced revenues caused by the pandemic are to be reimbursed via the nursing care insurance system. Bureaucratic requirements and assessment obligations will be temporarily suspended.

Nursing care insurance funds will be given further leeway to avoid gaps in the provision of nursing care at home.

The Government of India implemented a system to triage different categories of cases in different facilities.

COVID Care Centers will be used for mild or very mild cases or COVID suspect cases. These will be makeshift facilities that may be set up in hostels, hotels, schools, stadiums, lodges etc.

Dedicated COVID Health Centres will offer care for all cases that have been clinically assigned as moderate. These will either be a full hospital or a separate block in a hospital, and will have beds with assured oxygen support.

Dedicated COVID Hospitals will offer comprehensive care for those who have been clinically assigned as severe. These will have fully equipped ICUs, ventilators and beds with assured oxygen support.

The Government of India provided 15 thousand crore rupees for treating Coronavirus patients and strengthening the medical infrastructure of the country.

This funding will go toward increasing the number of COVID-19 testing facilities, personal protective equipment, isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilators and other essential equipment.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) released a guidance document for clinical staff who may be involved in making decisions regarding the prioritisation of critical care resources in the context of COVID-19.

The Department of Health has been working intensively with the HSE (Health Service Executive) during the last month to significantly increase the critical care capacity within the hospital system.

The Irish Government postponed all non-essential surgery, health procedures and other non-essential health services.

The Irish Government agreed to provide support payments for general practitioners to ensure greater access to GP care during the COVID-19 crisis.In exchange, GPs agree not to charge patients for any consultation for diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19.

The agreement between the HSE and a representative organisation for GPs specifies fees the government will pay GPs for particular services. GPs will be paid for remote consultation with patients who may have contracted COVID-19, and for conducting respiratory consultations with at-risk people, regardless of the patient’s eligibility.

Other fees were agreed for patients with special eligibility for services, effectively ensuring universal access to GP care.

The agreement will remain in place for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.

No further details are recorded for this policy. Refer to the citations below for more information.

The Dutch Government has published guidelines for those caring for vulnerable people, including the elderly. The aim is to ensure efficient care and support is available to vulnerable groups of people being cared for at home, including their physical and mental wellbeing.

The Dutch Government has announced a temporary measure to allow general practitioners to share patient data with emergency departments. GPs are ordinarily required to gain permission from patients before they can consult patient data with other healthcare providers. This will no longer be required.

Dutch people who have not indicated a preference on sharing their data are now registered under the 'corona-opt in' scheme to allow GPs to share information. People can opt-out by making a request to their doctor or via volgjezorg.nl.

Customs authorities in the Caribbean Netherlands has enforced tax exemptions for the import of personal protective equipment in tackling COVID-19.

Anyone or any business importing protective equipment for healthcare institutions will be exempt from having to pay the general expenditure tax (sales tax). Those wishing to sell such equipment will not receive an exemption.

The Dutch Government, in collaboration with the Healthcare Insurance Office of the Caribbean Netherlands (ZVK), have arranged chartered flights for residents of Bonaire, Saba and Statia to return home from Columbia for medical treatment.

Residents of other islands in the Caribbean Netherlands will stay in Colombia to continue their medical treatment, with repatriation to be confirmed at a later date.

The New Zealand Government has allocated NZ$26 million to assist residential agred care facilities cover costs directly related to COVID-19.

The funding is drawn in part from the dedicated NZ$500 million health fund announced on 17 March 2020 and partly from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

The New Zealand Government established an independet review of COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities.

The decision was made following three deaths linked to COVID-19 among elderly people who were a part of a cluster of cases at an aged care facility.

The Ministry of Health is developing a plan the review.

The New Zealand Government has provided NZ$17 million to fund support for the Pacific community to respond to COVID-19. The funding will be used for Pacific health and disability services, increased public health messaging and guidance in Pacific languages, and a new outreach programme involving placing non-clinical health support staff in Pacific communities to link high-risk Pacific people with important services.

The New Zealand Government has increased hospital capacity, including by paying for the fast-tracked completion of a new intensive care unit in Christchurch to provide 36 more intensive care beds.

Public hospitals have 533 ventilators, and there are 247 ventilators controlled by other organisations including private hospitals. The government has ordered more ventilators from overseas. There are 2,500 nurses trained in intensive care and District Health Boards are training new staff to care for ventilated patients.

The New Zealand Government began its annual influenza vaccination programme early. Healthcare workers will receive a free vaccine from their employer. Free vaccines will be available from doctors’ clinics and pharmacies for people who are aged 65 and over, pregnant, have certain chronic conditions, or young children with a history of severe respiratory illness. Vulnerable populations and healthcare workers will have priority access to the vaccine until 27 April 2020.

Vaccinations normally begin in April each year, with influenza season expected in May. The change is intended to reduce the burden of influenza on the healthcare system while the system is dealing with COVID-19.

Pakistan Railways, the state-owned railway company, has converted all its business class and air-conditioned sleeper coaches into mobile isolation wards for COVID-19 patients, while passenger train services are suspended.

The mobile isolation wards can accommodate around 2,000 beds. They can be sent to any part of the country connected with rail on the request of authorities if existing health facilities are unable to cope with the number of COVID-19 patients.

King Salman Bin Abdulaziz issued a royal decree stating that all COVID-19 positive patients and all COVID-19 suspected cases will receive free treatment and care in governmental and private hospitals.

This decree includes the treatment of violators of residence, labor, or border security laws.

The Ministry of Health allocated 1,400 respiratory isolation rooms across the Kingdom for COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms.

The Ministry will also provide 870 mobile air purifiers to boost the hospital’s capabilities in patients isolation.

Ther Government of South Africa called on municipalies to suspend the cutting of water supply during the national lockdown.

This measure is intended to assist citizens in practicing hygiene by washing their hands.

The Government of South Africa introduced a centralised patient management system for severe cases of COVID-19, and a decentralised primary case system for mild cases.

The measure is intended to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed as the number of cases increases.

The Central Epidemic Command Center required people wishing to buy child-sized masks either online or in person to furnish the National Health Insurance card information for any child under 16 years of age. The policy took effect April 23 and was aimed at ensuring there were sufficient numbers of face masks for minors.

The Central Epidemic Command Center banned visitors from hospitals except those visiting patients in critical condition or in deteriorating health.

The UK Government provided £300 million funding for community pharmacies so that they can carry out essential services during the coronavirus outbreak.

This funding was already committed for 2020/21 under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 5-year deal, however, this cash boost has been brought forward.

The UK Government reduced on-site inspections of laboratories, clinical trials, manufacturing, distribution and pharmacovigilance until further notice.

The UK government made temporary changes to various rules to reduce the administrative burden on health workers.

Detainment and treatment under mental health legislation will require only one doctor’s opinion, rather than two, as previously required. Certain time limits under mental health legislation will be extended or removed.

NHS providers will be allowed to delay continuing care assessments for people discharged from hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Health and Social Care advised staff caring for people receiving care to use protective equipment, for GPs to look at digital appointments, and for Councils to map out all care and support plans.

The UK Government took urgent steps to list coronavirus as a notifiable disease in law. The designation means all doctors must report cases of COVID-19 to public health officials.

The U.S. Congress provided $100 billion for hospitals and healthcare providers to reimburse for the costs and lost revenue associated with COVID-19, as part of phase 3 legislation. Phase 3.5 legislation included an additional $75 billion to reimburse hospitals and healthcare providers.

The majority of the phase 1 funds (approximately $65 billion) went directly to hospitals with the rest going to healthcare workers and others. Phase 1 legislation also increased the amount of money the federal government paid to hospitals and healthcare workers for treating Medicare patients.

The Prime Minister attended a ceremony to launch two new high tech apps to help prevent and control COVID-19.

The first technology will allow medical examinations and treatment to be carried out remotely. In particular, it can carry out electrocardiographic consultations and ultrasound scans remotely for people with chronic diseases who should be examined.

The second piece of equipment uses a Bluezone app and can detect other people nearby who are positive for the virus through previously saved data. This will help the authorities track and trace people who have come into close contact with positive patients.

The Ministry of Health issued guidance on monitoring, prevention and treatment of COVID-19, including on identifying suspicious cases, contact tracing, clustering, testing and reporting, prevention measures, and quarantine, isolation and treatment requirements.

The Ministry of Health also issued guidance on quarantine, prevention measures and a reporting scheme, a fee exemption for meals for people in quarantine, and on medical isolation at home.

The Canadian government provided AbCellera CA$175.6 million in support under Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s (ISED) Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). This funding is intended to expand efforts related to the discovery of antibodies for use in drugs to treat COVID-19 and build technology and manufacturing infrastructure for antibody therapies to guard against future pandemic threats.

AbCellera Biologics Inc. is a privately held Canadian biotech company.

The Canadian government established a COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.

The task force is aimed at establishing priorities and overseeing the coordination of a series of country-wide blood test surveys intended to indicate how widely the virus has spread in Canada and provide reliable estimates of potential immunity and vulnerabilities in Canadian populations.

The task force will operate under the direction of a leadership group that includes Dr. David Naylor, Dr. Catherine Hankins, Dr. Tim Evans, Dr. Theresa Tam, and Dr. Mona Nemer.

This measure is part of the government's CA$1.1 billion package of research funding announced on 23 April 2020.

The Canadian Government issued CA$192 million worth of funding towards developing a vaccine for COVID-19. This funding will be divided among a range of Canadian institutions, including: AbCellera to support their work on drug treatments, Medicago for vaccine testing and production, the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization for development and clinical trials, and the National Research Council in Montreal to prepare for the roll-out of vaccines.

The Dutch Government has fast-tracked the process of issuing licences or permits to researchers who currently use gene therapy in developing drugs or vaccines for COVID-19. All research into gene therapy and genetically modified organisms in the Netherlands must be approved by the Government, and obtain a permit that is usually issued within 56 days. The new measure allows permits to be issued within 28 days instead. The aim is to accelerate the development of a vaccine to combat COVID-19, and allow researchers to start clinical trials much earlier. The measure will be in force for one year and can be extended once for a maximum of one year if necessary.

The New Zealand Government and its Health Research Council provided funding to 13 studies to help respond to the current coronavirus outbreak and prepare New Zealand for future infectious diseases.

Three of the studies are clinical trials. One trial will test immune modulation treatments, anti-viral drugs such as hydroxychloroquine (currently used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, or malaria) and lopinavir-ritonavir (currently used to treat HIV) for their effectiveness in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

A second trial will test the use of the same anti-virals in people unwell enough to need hospital admission but not intensive care.

The third trial will test the use of hydroxychloroquine in front-line healthcare workers.

A total of NZ$3.8 million was allocated across all the studies. The funding was allocated following a call for proposals made on 2 March 2020.

The UK Government created an online survey for people at home who thinks they may be displaying coronavirus symptoms.

The information gathered will assist the NHS to plan its response to the outbreak and provide insight into the development and progression of the virus across the country.

The UK Government will provide grants of £25,000 to technology companies to develop digital tools to support people who need help during the COVID-19 outbreak. Up to £500,000 will be paid in grants.

The UK Government committed £5 million through the Joint Initiative on Research for Epidemic Preparedness in collaboration with Wellcome Trust to develop quicker diagnosis methods and perform other essential research for disease control.

The Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has been co-operating with Japan’s Nagasaki University to develop serological diagnostic bio-products by using the Elisa machine.

The country’s health system has plenty of Elisa machines available that had previously been purchased to diagnose dengue, HIV/AIDS, and immune diseases.

By utilising the bio-products in the Elisa machine, both the sensitivity and accuracy rate has risen to between 90% and 95% out of 100 cases. In contrast with other countries, the Republic of Korea's (RoK) rapid test kits have an accuracy of approximately 70% out of 100 cases.