Since April 2020, we have partnered with foreign law firms to monitor and report on the most relevant government measures worldwide addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. This most recent (and final) version of the guide includes a concise, corporate-focused and user-friendly list of government measures and covers areas like tax, restructuring, business immigration, government contracts and international trade.
View/Download (PDF): Country-by-Country Guide:
Government Measures Taken in Response to COVID-19.
This last update includes new information as of March 2021 for Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, European Union, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.
Many countries around the world continue to maintain health and safety measures to restrict public gatherings or movement of persons to address rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and have rolled out plans for vaccination and safe reopening. Regional curfews or lockdown requirements are maintained primarily based on the numbers of infections within local populations. In the United States, cities, counties and states continue to differ in their approaches to both business closures/reopenings and mask requirements. In Asia and the Americas, the general trend shows countries adopting risk-based systems to identify high-risk populations and restricting their activities accordingly. In Asia, international travel restrictions have been eased in some countries, with a focus on workers. That said, following the discovery of new COVID-19 variants, some countries have introduced travel bans from countries with the presence of the new variants.
Governments continue to support workers and employers affected by the economic instability caused by the pandemic. Most have taken various measures, including tax deferrals, incentives or exemptions and loan facilities, to address the difficulties endured by businesses. Other measures include business subsidies, short-term compensation procedures, social security benefits and other regulations to ensure that workers receive personal protective equipment and do not face discrimination.
As to government contracts, some governments have enacted 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. Further, some governments have introduced measures to facilitate the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, there is 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 (PPE) and have introduced measures subjecting foreign investments to increased scrutiny, especially investments linked to public health emergencies. Foreign investment in health care and related infrastructure continues to be regulated in light of the pandemic around the world.