We continue to collaborate with our foreign law firm partners to monitor and report on the most relevant government measures worldwide addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The newest version of the chart, which can be accessed at the link below, includes a concise, corporate-focused and user-friendly list of government measures and covers such areas as tax, insolvency/restructuring, business immigration, government contracts and international trade. Please contact us or the firms listed on the chart directly with any questions.
View/Download (PDF): Country-by-Country Guide 2.0: Government Measures Taken in Response to COVID-19
This update includes new information through the end of November 2020 for Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, El Salvador, European Union, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.
Many countries continue to re-introduce health and safety measures previously implemented in March 2020 to restrict public gatherings or movement of persons to address the rising number of COVID-19 cases. In Europe, some country-wide lockdowns have been extended until the end of December 2020 and January 2021. Many other countries continue to keep social distancing requirements in place and have introduced new regional curfews or lockdown requirements based on the numbers of infections within local populations. In the United States, states and counties continue to differ in their approaches to both business closures/reopenings and face mask requirements. In Asia and the Americas, the general trend indicates that countries have adopted a risk-based system to identify high-risk populations and to restrict their activities accordingly. In Asia, international travel restrictions have been eased in some countries, with a focus on workers.
Most governments continue to support their workers and employers affected by the economic instability caused by the pandemic. Most governments have taken various measures, including tax exemptions and loan facilities, to address the difficulties endured by businesses affected by the pandemic-related economic instability. Measures include short-term compensation procedures, social security benefits or other regulations to ensure that workers receive personal protection equipment or do not face discrimination.
As to government contracts, some governments issued measures to address COVID-19-related economic difficulties, including easing the termination of contracts for force majeure or introducing emergency procurement regimes to speed up the procurement process. Additionally, there is an increased attention on investment and regulations involving critical infrastructure in the Americas and Europe to support COVID-19 efforts.
In the area of international trade, some countries continue to restrict exports of certain personal protective equipment and have introduced new measures to subject foreign investments to increased scrutiny, especially investments linked to public health emergencies. Foreign investment in healthcare and related infrastructure continue to be regulated around the world.
Please see our update of April 7, 2020 for a discussion of this initiative tracking pandemic-related measures taken by governments worldwide.