Recently, both INAPI and TDPI implemented temporary measures in terms of deadlines, procedures and legal requirements for the submission of original documents, with the aim to facilitate to applicants and users of the system to comply with legal obligations, taking into account both the difficulties in meeting these obligations and the purpose of safeguarding people's health ...
On March 18, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-15 which permits all public bodies in the State of Michigan, with the exception of the State Legislature, to meet during the COVID-19 state of emergency (“COVID-19 Emergency”) by electronic means until April 15, 2020 ...
The currently unstoppable strong spread of COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions on public life, such as quarantine measures and curfews, which are imposed in EU Member States and worldwide and which are sometimes very drastic, are also increasingly impairing the ability to work and communicate. In the meantime, various IP Offices have also reacted to this. 1 ...
UPDATE - On March 20 in the evening, Governor Wolf issued a revised list classifying businesses as life-sustaining and non-life-sustaining. The press release, list and frequently asked questions can be found here. In addition, Governor Wolf has extended the timeframe for enforcement of the order. The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently completed the Appropriations hearings related to the FY 2020-2021 budget. The plans to resume the legislative session were altered due to COVID-19 ...
According to press reports, most Germans are willing to accept limitations on the extent of the protection of their personal data vis-à-vis public authorities and agencies in order to tackle the coronavirus crisis. However, that alone is not an adequate justification for measures that employers may take during a coronavirus pandemic to prevent an outbreak in their company ...
We invite you to read our news alert about the State of Catastrophe declared by the Chilean government and the economic measures announced today by the country's Ministry of Finance to face the covid-19 pandemic. A) State of Catastrophe is declared in Chile: Below, please find a summary of the main consequences of the “State of Catastrophe” decreed by H.E. the President of the Republic of Chile: I. Background. On 18 March 2020, H.E ...
In response to the severe public health emergency and the economically-damaging nationwide confinement measures triggered by the Covid-19 (“Covid-19”) outbreak in Italy, on 17 March 2020 the Italian government has adopted Law Decree #CuraItalia1 (the “Decree #CuraItalia”) ...
On March 4, 2020, Governor Newsom declared a State of Emergency in the State of California as a result of the threat of COVID-19 ...
At their core, the Regulations in terms of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 issued and brought into operation yesterday, 18 March 2020, outline the responsibilities of all government departments, the release and allocation of resources, and the conditions under which liquor industry may function. In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic being declared a national state of disaster, the Regulations are intended to contain the spread of the virus ...
On March 18, 2020, the State Medical Board of Ohio (“Board”) held a special meeting, which resulted in the temporary suspension of certain regulatory enforcement activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine Effective immediately, the Board will suspend enforcement of any regulations requiring in-person visits between providers and patients ...
Introduction While the long-term litigation effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may not materialize for months – or even years – it is important for tort litigation attorneys and their clients to begin preparing now for potential legal issues that may arise. This bulletin is intended to serve as a non-exhaustive list of tort-focused legal considerations for health care providers, product manufacturers, and their attorneys in the new and ever-evolving COVID-19 landscape ...
In the early hours of Saturday, March 14, 2020, the United States House of Representatives passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which is designed to expand relief in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, through access to free testing, enhancing food assistance, increasing Medicaid funding, and providing paid sick leave and unemployment benefits to workers ...
Ohio continues to be a leader in proactive restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 and securing the resources necessary to do so. On March 17, 2020, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Amy Acton, MD, MPH announced an ODH Order requiring the cancellation of all non-essential or elective surgeries or procedures that use personal protective equipment (PPE). This Order is effective at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, 2020 ...
With the Corona crisis, countries such as Germany, France and the Czech Republic have already announced bans on exports of protective gear to avoid shortages at their countries. But is this in conformity with the principle of free movement of goods as provided for in articles 34-36 TFEU? This principle is one of the cornerstones of the European Union's internal market which implies that national barriers to the free movement of goods within the EU need to be removed ...
In this challenging period of the Coronavirus outbreak, your organisation might currently be taking strong internal measures to protect its employees while ensuring work continuity. Such measures could have data protection implications and therefore you might be wondering how to take them in accordance with the GDPR. We have answered the most important GDPR questions below ...
EUIPO On 16 March 2020, the Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has issued Decision No EX-20-3 extending all time limits expiring between 9 March 2020 and 30 April 2020, that affect all parties before the Office, to 1 May 2020. In principle, the new deadlines will not be communicated to the parties on a case-by-case basis ...
Belgium is a complex country and many authorities have jurisdiction The Federal government is in charge of emergency planning. It can activate a federal stage emergency planning in which case the Federal Minister of the Interior has exceptional authority and can coordinate the emergency activities. As announced at a press conference on Thursday 12 March 2020, at about 10 pm, this federal stage has been activated ...
In the current situation, employees who come into contact with other employees may be diagnosed with COVID-19. What is an employer’s obligation to notify other potentially exposed employees? Employers have a general duty to provide a safe workplace under Cal/OSHA and federal OSHA ...
At Patterson Belknap we continue to diligently monitor the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus and assess the potential legal and business issues that may arise relating to the virus. The situation is fluid, and best practices and guidelines are evolving in real time. We are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds, and share our latest perspectives on the legal issues relating to COVID-19 below ...
As the United States and countries all over the world continue to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic, the race is on for Covid-19 treatments and vaccines. There is currently no FDA-approved therapy or vaccine for Covid-19. Given the profound urgency, life sciences companies and other researchers are prioritizing research and development of potential therapies and vaccines ...
In order to limit the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its effects, on 12 March 2020, the Government of the Republic of Estonia declared an emergency situation until 1 May 2020 and the Health Board recommends avoiding human contact. In this situation, implementing effective safety measures at the workplace often requires asking additional personal data, including health data from the employees ...
The UAE authorities have been dynamic in implementing measures to control the spread of COVID-19 within the UAE. Please find below a non-exhaustive list of noteworthy measures that have been implemented by various UAE authorities to date ...
Following the COVID – 19 outbreak in Romania, the President of Romania issued the Decree no. 195/2020 (the “Decree”) for proclaiming a 30-day state of emergency effective 16 March 2020 ...
The March 18, 2020 edition of the Official State Gazette has published Royal Decree-Law 8/2020 of March 17, 2020 on urgent and extraordinary measures to confront the economic and social impact of COVID-19. The decree-law comes into force on its publication date, for a one-month term, and allows this term to be extended. The adopted measures cover many different fields of business activity. Below is a summary of the main measures classified by area ...