With national governments scrambling to take measures in order to counter the Covid-19 pandemic, we are again confronted with the fact that a EU common policy in the healthcare field is quasi inexistent. This is equally so in respect of the pricing and reimbursement of medicines ...
The new measures adopted by the European Commission Last Friday, the European Commission (“Commission”) has adopted an amendment to existing State aid rules to widen the perimeter of the national measures which can be authorized based on the exceptional legal framework to cope with the current crisis. a. In particular, the Commission considered the following measures:a. More support for research and development related to the current health crisis ...
In its continuing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, on April 3, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) recommended that the general public wear, on a voluntary basis, “cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission” of coronavirus ...
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) offers relief to businesses affected by COVID-19 through various programs, including forgivable loans and federal income tax credits. However, the CARES Act prevents businesses from claiming certain benefits that are considered duplicative ...
As employers try to comply with the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (FFCRA) paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements, the Department of Labor has thrown them a curveball by quietly changing the answers to some of its Guidance about the FFCRA as well as adding 19 more FAQs to its prior compendium ...
In an apparent attempt to further reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan, on Friday, April 3, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-36, which provides protection to all employees who stay home when they are at “particular risk” of infecting others with COVID-19 ...
On March 30, 2020, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services ("Secretary") announced a blanket waiver ("Waiver") of sanctions for violations of Section 1877 of the Social Security Act, also known as the physician self-referral law or Stark law ("Stark Law") ...
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a temporary rule regarding the implementation of the emergency paid sick leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave (“EFMLA”) requirements established by the recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The DOL temporary rule covers significant ground in terms of delineating workers’ and employers’ rights and responsibilities under the FFCRA ...
The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted the manufacturing, transportation and supple chains underpinning countless aspects of trade and commerce on a global basis. Additionally, the shelter-in-place orders have caused nonessential businesses to shut down, resulting in many of them being unable to meet their contractual obligation. Force Majeure Whether coronavirus can be considered a force majeure depends on the wording of the provision ...
In order to cope with the public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of North Macedonia has instituted a number of administrative measures aimed at preventing the spread of this virus, but also at dealing with the economic consequences of the crisis ...
“With our nation’s health care providers on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19, dollars and cents shouldn’t be adding to their worries.” - CMS Administrator Seema Verma. During this Public Health Emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has expanded its accelerated and advanced payment program (“Program”) to all Medicare-enrolled providers and suppliers (“Providers”) ...
The COVID-19 virus has a worldwide impact on travel activities, affecting foreigners such as employees of companies intending to travel to Germany as well as those who are already in Germany but are now effectively unable to leave. 1. RESTRICTIONS ON ENTRY AND VISA ISSUANCE The countries of the Schengen area have decided to impose entry restrictions on all non-essential travel from third countries ...
Employers, contracting companies, enterprises and individuals who use employees, contractors, or people in arrangements of phone or cellphone orders, website orders, mobile apps, digital platform, gig economy, and freelancers, for delivery service or the purchase and delivery of goods and merchandise, must comply with the following prevention and promotional measures: Set appropriate communication channels for notifying suspected cases of Covid-19 to the District, Department or Munici
Introduction: The new reality As a result of the sudden and dramatic fall in the oil price that had occurred between June 2014, when oil had been trading at prices of around US$115 per barrel of Brent crude, to January 2015 by which time it had fallen to around US$35 per barrel, I was prompted to prepare a “Guide for Contractors”. Parties in the offshore oil and gas sector, and in particular contractors in the industry, were facing turbulent and unpredictable times ...
LATEST UPDATE - April 3, 2020 In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the President signed H.R. 748, known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act on March 27, 2020. The bill provides more than $2 trillion of aid to individuals and the public and private sector ...
On the 17thof March, we gave an overview on the options available for the governments in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to support companies being harmed by the COVID-19 crisis. At that time we noted that companies should work with the government in order to ensure that the measures taken truly help the companies survive the crisis ...
1. What measures can be implemented by employers in relation to employees who have returned from the territories affected by the virus? Estonia Save for limited exceptions that apply to diplomats, health care employees and a few other categories, persons who have entered in Estonia on March 17, 2020 or later are required to stay in their place of residence for 14 days after crossing the Estonian border under the order of the Government of the Republic ...
It has now been announced that from Monday, 6 April 2020 employers will be able to apply for compensation payment from the state budget for March. The Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund has explained by now the technical aspects of filing applications and responded to the more frequent questions asked by employers about applying for compensation. Below you will find a brief overview of how to apply for compensation as well as some practical explanations and suggestions ...
On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued afinal borrower applicationand provided lenders with therequired datathe federal government will collect electronically to guarantee the loans. The lender application form requires the lender to certify they have gathered the requisite information from the applicant, as outlined in the updated borrower application form ...
Insight on Eligibility and Requirements for Obtaining Financial Assistance For Mid-Sized Companies and Eligible Businesses (other than Air Carriers and Businesses Critical to MaintainingNational Security) The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) provides for various loans, loan guaranties and other forms of financial assistance to U.S. businesses both small and large and in specific industries and sectors ...
On April 1, the DOL provided employers with further clarity on the FFCRA by publishing temporary regulations. These regulations will be effective from April 1, 2020, until December 31, 2020—the same effective period of the FFCRA. Also relevant to employers, the IRS issued guidance regarding the FFCRA tax credit ...
