Please see below an overview of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. 
EIB Group: Coronavirus crisis response
Compliments of the EIB.

An updated message from NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Office for International Affairs regarding NYC’s response to COVID-19. Thursday, March 19, 2020.
Dear Colleagues,
As part of our ongoing efforts to keep you informed on the City’s response to COVID-19, the NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs is sharing the following information from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s press conference on Thursday, March 19, 2020:
Statistics (as of 10 a.m. Thursday):
3,615 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NYC
               o  By borough: 980 cases in Queens; 976 in Manhattan; 1,030 in Brooklyn;  463 in the Bronx; 165 on Staten Island
22 deaths in NYC
The Mayor noted that these numbers are growing rapidly due in part to expanded testing capacity; he also reiterated that 80% of all cases will be mild
Supply Needs
Mayor de Blasio has requested the federal government supply the following to help combat COVID-19 in NYC:
3 million N-95 masks
50 million surgical masks
15 thousand ventilators
25 million each of: surgical gowns, coveralls, gloves, face masks
Rikers Island
One inmate on Rikers Island has tested positive; this is the first such case
Eight other inmates are exhibiting symptoms and have also been moved to isolation
The City will begin releasing inmates with health vulnerabilities and who are deemed low risk offenders
40 such persons have been added on that list
The City is now awaiting clearance from the relevant district attorneys and/or the State of New York
Releases begin today
Health care capacity
More than 1,746 health care professionals have stepped forward to augment ranks of those already serving (these are retirees and health care workers in private offices)
Those with medical training can volunteer by going to nyc.gov/helpnownyc
Testing Capacity
Mayor de Blasio and NYC Health + Hospitals today announced expanded, appointment-only COVID-19 testing capacity across 10 acute-care hospitals, seven Gotham Health community-based health centers, and 4 drive-thru test sites.  
Telecommuting
Mayor continued to encourage people to telework if there are non-essential employees; two-thirds of City employees will no longer be working at their traditional work sites starting Sunday.
If any New Yorker is still not telecommuting, you must – employers need to be creative and help employees stay home. Employees can call 311 and ask for the NYC Commission on Human Rights for assistance.
Public Assistance
The City is no longer conducting in-person interviews for food stamps or public assistance; all these services have been converted online
Religious services
Mayor expressed sadness that so many cannot attend their houses of worship and forego religious services; he discouraged at home services with large gatherings.
Keeping NYC Healthy
“Doing more means staying home. If you are not an essential worker, I need you to stay home. If you are developing symptoms, I need you to stay home and stay away from those who are higher risk – those who are over 50 and have underlying conditions.” – Dr. Oxiris Barbot, Commissioner, City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
For updated information on the City’s response to novel coronavirus, text COVID to 692-692 and COVIDESP to 692-692 for updates in Spanish.
Best,
Mayor’s Office for International Affairs

Following the publication of the proposal a few days ago, on 19 March the European Commission adopted the communication introducing a new temporary legal framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak. The last time the Commission had adopted a similar temporary framework was during the global financial crisis in 2008.
The new rules allow national authorities to take urgent and effective measures to help citizens and companies, especially SMEs, to cope with the financial difficulties caused by the economic crisis due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
CONTINUE READING …
Compliments of Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners – a member of the EACCNY.

Today, the European Commission has decided to create a strategic rescEU stockpile of medical equipment such as ventilators and protective masks to help EU countries in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Ursula von der Leyen said: “With the first ever common European reserve of emergency medical equipment we put EU solidarity into action. It will benefit all our Member States and all our citizens. Helping one another is the only way forward.”
Medical equipment part of the stockpile will include items such as:
intensive care medical equipment such as ventilators,
personal protective equipment such as reusable masks,
vaccines and therapeutics,
laboratory supplies.
Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič said: “The EU is taking action to get more equipment to Member States. We are setting up a rescEU stockpile to rapidly get the supplies needed to fight the coronavirus. It will be used to support Member States facing shortages of equipment needed to treat infected patients, protect health care workers and help slow the spread of the virus. Our plan is to move ahead without delay.”
How the rescEU stockpile works
The stockpile will be hosted by one or several Member States. The hosting State will be responsible for procuring the equipment.
The Commission will finance 90% of the stockpile. The Emergency Response Coordination Centre will manage the distribution of the equipment to ensure it goes where it is needed most.
The initial EU budget of the stockpile is €50 million, of which €40 million is subject to the approval of the budgetary authorities.
In addition, under the Joint Procurement Agreement, Member States are in the process of purchasing personal protective equipment, respiratory ventilators and items necessary for coronavirus testing. This coordinated approach gives Member States a strong position when negotiating with the industry on availability and price of medical products.
Next steps
Once the measure enters into law on Friday 20 March, the Member State wishing to host rescEU stockpiles can apply for a direct grant from the European Commission. The direct grant covers 90 % of the costs of the stockpile while the remaining 10 % are borne by the Member State.
Background
rescEU is part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism which strengthens cooperation between Participating States in the field of civil protection, with a view to improving prevention, preparedness and response to disasters. The proposal upgrades the EU Civil Protection Mechanism’s rescEU reserve of assets that already includes firefighting planes and helicopters. Through the Mechanism, the European Commission plays a key role in coordinating the response to disasters in Europe and beyond.
When the scale of an emergency overwhelms the response capabilities of a country, it can request assistance via the Mechanism.
To date, all EU Member States participate in the Mechanism, as well as Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey. Since its inception in 2001, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has responded to over 330 requests for assistance inside and outside the EU.
For more information
Factsheet: EU Civil Protection Mechanism
Compliments of the EU Commission.

President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a comprehensive set of measures that will:
Ensure the adequate supply of protective equipment and medical supplies across Europe;
Cushion the blow for people’s livelihoods and the economy by applying full flexibility of EU fiscal rules;
Set up a EUR 37 billion Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative to provide liquidity to small businesses and the health care sector.
Provide a coherent set of guidelines to Member States on border measures to protect citizens’ health while allowing the free flow of essential goods
Restrict temporarily non-essential travel to the European Union
Our priority now is to bend the trend of infection, to give our health systems and workers the time and space to care for those that need it. Our first priority is guaranteeing the health and safety of all our citizens: protecting people from the spread of the virus while maintaining the flow of goods. To this end, the Commission is coordinating daily contact between European Health Ministers and Ministers Interior Affairs.
Science-based guidance is essential. The Commission has launched a board of outstanding scientists — a team of leading epidemiologists and virologists — to anticipate events and develop guidelines and evidence-based strategies for our Union.
Guidelines to national governments on border measures have been provided to guarantee that we protect our citizens’ health while allowing goods and essential staff to reach patients, health systems, factories and shops.  
We are at the beginning of this crisis. The Commission stands ready to do more as the situation evolves.  
The role of the Commission is mainly to support Member States in addressing the crisis, providing recommendations on a common course of action.
The Commission wants to avoid Member States taking uncoordinated or even contradictory measures that ultimately undermine common efforts to fight the outbreak. Coordination and recommendations are therefore necessary in the areas of public health, but also transport, border control, internal markets and trade.
The crisis coordination mechanism of the Commission has been activated and the Crisis Coordination Committee meets regularly to synergise the action of all the relevant departments and services of the Commission and of the EU agencies. It is chaired by Commissioner Janez Lenarčič in his role of European Emergency Response Coordinator.
The Commission has also established a coordinating response team at political level, composed of the commissioners responsible for the most affected policies:
• President Ursula von der Leyen• Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager is in charge of a Europe fit for the digital age 
• Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis  is in charge of an economy that works for people• Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni is in charge of macroeconomic aspects
• Commissioner Thierry Breton is in charge of the internal market
• Commissioner Stella Kyriakides is in charge of all health issues
• Commissioner Janez Lenarčič is in charge of crisis management
• Commissioner Ylva Johansson is in charge of border-related issues
• Commissioner Adina Vălean is in charge of mobility
Compliments of the EU Commission.

Today 17 March, Members of the European Council held a videoconference on COVID 19 in order to follow up on previous conclusions of 10 March 2020 together with the ECB President, the President of the Eurogroup and the High Representative.
We reaffirmed the need to work together and to do everything necessary to tackle the crisis and its consequences.
The priority is the health of our citizens.
On the four priorities identified:
1. Limiting the spread of the virus
We endorsed the guidelines proposed by the Commission on  border management. We need to ensure passage of medicines, food and goods and our citizens must be able to travel to their home countries. Adequate solutions for cross-border workers will be found.
To limit the spread of the virus globally, we agreed to reinforce our external borders by applying a coordinated temporary restriction of non-essential travel to the EU for a period of 30 days, based on the approach proposed by the Commission.
2. Providing medical equipment
We welcomed the decision taken by the Commission to adopt a prior authorisation for export of medical equipment.
We supported the Commission effort to (1) engage  with the industry; (2) to run  joint public procurements that have been recently launched and those which will be shortly  finalized to provide sufficient protective equipment; (3) and purchase of protective equipment through the Civil protection framework.
3. Promoting research
We encouraged the efforts made to support research such as the Advisory Group(link is external) on COVID 19.
We stressed the need to share information and to develop a vaccine and make it available to all those in need. We will support European companies in that respect.
4. Tackling socio-economic consequences
We endorsed the Eurogroup 16 March statement and invited the Eurogroup to continuously and closely monitor economic and financial developments and to adapt without delay a coordinated policy response to the rapidly evolving situation.
We supported the various initiatives taken by the Commission in the areas of the Single Market, such as the adaptation of the State Aid rules and the use of the flexibilities provided for in the Stability and Growth Pact and the recourse to the EU budget. 
The Union and its Member States will do whatever it takes to address the current challenges, to restore confidence and to support a rapid recovery, for the sake of our citizens.
5. Citizens stranded in Third countries.
We committed to coordinate among our embassies and the EU delegations in third countries. The High Representative and the European External action service will support in this regard.
We will jointly arrange repatriation of EU citizens, where necessary and possible, and make use of the Union’s Civil protection mechanism. Additional EU funding for such joint operations will be mobilised.
Member States and institutions will follow-up at all levels immediately. The members of the European Council will come back to this issue in a videoconference  next week. The ordinary European Council scheduled for 26-27 March will be postponed to a later date.
WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE
Compliments of the Delegation of the European Union to the United States.

We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven, acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic is a human tragedy and a global health crisis, which also poses major risks for the world economy.  We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure a strong global response through closer cooperation and enhanced coordination of our efforts.  While current challenges may require national emergency measures, we remain committed to the stability of the global economy.  We express our conviction that current challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic need a strongly coordinated international approach, based on science and evidence, consistent with our democratic values, and utilizing the strengths of private enterprise.
We are committed to marshalling the full power of our governments to:
• Coordinate on necessary public health measures to protect people at risk from COVID-19;
• Restore confidence, growth, and protect jobs;
• Support global trade and investment;
• Encourage science, research, and technology cooperation.
• By acting together, we will work to resolve the health and economic risks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and set the stage for a strong recovery of strong, sustainable economic growth and prosperity.
Accelerate Our Response to COVID-19
We will work hard to protect the health and safety of everyone in our countries.  Stepping up the response to the outbreak remains our foremost priority.  We will coordinate our efforts to delay the spread of the virus, including through appropriate border management measures.
We will enhance our efforts to strengthen health systems in our countries and globally.  We fully support the World Health Organization in its global mandate to lead on disease outbreaks and emergencies with health consequences, leaving no geographical vacuum, and encourage all countries, international organizations, and the private sector to assist global efforts such as the Global Preparedness and Response Plan.
We stress the value of real-time information sharing to ensure access to the best and latest intelligence, improving prevention strategies and mitigation measures.
We will pool epidemiologic and other data to better understand and fight the virus.
We will increase coordinated research efforts, including through voluntary support for the global alliance Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation.  We will support the launch of joint research projects funded by both public and private resources, and the sharing of facilities, towards rapid development, manufacture and distribution of treatments and a vaccine, adhering to the principles of efficacy, safety, and accessibility.
We will make efforts to increase the availability of medical equipment where it is most needed.
We will coordinate with online platforms to maximize public access to the latest correct and relevant official information, in recognition that millions of citizens receive information and news via social media.
To implement these objectives, and adapt measures if necessary, will require efforts across all parts of our governments, and we ask our health ministers to continue to coordinate on a weekly basis.
Forcefully Address the Economic Impact of the Outbreak
We resolve to coordinate measures and do whatever it takes, using all policy tools, to achieve strong growth in the G7 economies, and to safeguard against downside risks.
To this end, we are mobilizing the full range of instruments, including monetary and fiscal measures, as well as targeted actions, to support immediately and as much as necessary the workers, companies, and sectors most affected.  This is particularly important for small and medium businesses and working families.
We also ask our central banks to continue to coordinate to provide the necessary monetary measures in order to support economic and financial stability, and to promote recovery and growth.
We ask our finance ministers to coordinate on a weekly basis on the implementation of those measures and to develop further timely and effective actions.
We reinforce the importance of coordination among international organizations even in the face of challenges to business continuity.  We call on the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group and other International Organizations to further support countries worldwide as part of a coordinated global response, focused on this specific challenge.  We also ask our finance ministers to work closely with International Organizations to design and implement swiftly the international financial assistance that is appropriate to help countries, including emerging and developing economies, face the health and economic shock of COVID-19.
We will address disturbances to international supply chains and continue our work to facilitate international trade.
Restore and Expand Growth
We will continue to work together with resolve to implement these measures to respond to this global emergency.  In facing the economic challenge, we are determined not only to restore the level of growth anticipated before the COVID-19 pandemic but also to build the foundation for stronger future growth.  We will continue to coordinate through the G7 Presidency including at the G7 Leaders’ Summit and call upon the G20 to support and amplify these efforts.
 
Compliments of the Delegation of the European Union to the United States.

A message from NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Office for International Affairs regarding NYC’s response to COVID-19.
 
Dear Colleagues,
In an ongoing effort to keep you informed about the City’s response to COVID-19, below are the latest updates from NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s press conference on March 17, 2020:
Shelter-in-place
A decision HAS NOT yet been made but New Yorkers should prepare for possibility of shelter in place order; that decision may come in the next 48 hours
• A lot of considerations must be made first; the City will work closely with the State to decide if this is the right strategy to implement
• “In my view, I think the right guidance to give all New Yorkers is even though a decision has not been made by the city or by the state, I think New Yorkers should be prepared right now for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order…That decision should be made within the next 48 hours.” – Mayor Bill de Blasio, March 17 press conference
 Testing Capacity
Health +Hospital, NYC’s public health care system will partner with Bio-Reference Laboratories to perform 5,000 COVID-19 tests per day; testing with this lab starts Thursday
• The focus will be on tests of those who are hospitalized and the most vulnerable in society
Health Care Guidance
For those who are sick with mild or moderate cold and flu symptoms, please stay home. Do not go to ER or clinic. Those services need to be reserved for the sickest among us.
• If you are experiencing these symptoms, do not go to work or go out socializing
• Wait 3 or 4 days, if symptoms do not improve, call your health care provider for assistance
Statistics
814 confirmed cases in New York City
7 deaths in New York City
Public Schools
NYC Public Schools are closed until April 20
• Provisions are being made for children of first responders, health care workers and transit workers
• Schools are providing breakfast and lunch for children this week
• New plans will be in place to continue providing meals going forward
Students will begin distance learning programs on March 23
Medical Care
• NYC is mobilizing a Medical Reserve Corp of about 9,000 licensed/retired medical professionals who can respond if increased capacity is needed in our health care system, and we are calling on more qualified New Yorkers to join and serve. You can sign up at nyc.gov/helpnownyc
Correction Facilities
City is suspending in-person visits to inmates at Department of Corrections Facilities
Elections
City is cancelling the special election for Queens Borough President
Cultural Scene
Restaurants, bars and cafes are now limited to take-out orders and deliveries
Movie theaters, museums, cultural centers, concert venues, clubs and commercial gyms are closed until further notice
Recreation centers, youth programs and afterschool programs are closed to indoor activities; there is still a possibility for outdoor activities
Price Gouging
• The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) has put into place an emergency Rule that makes price gouging illegal for any personal or household good or any service that is needed to prevent or limit the spread of new coronavirus (COVID-19). This Rule is in effect and makes it illegal to increase prices by 10 percent or more for items like face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, soap, tissues, cleaning products, and medicines.
• Any business found to be overcharging on customers 10 percent or more than before COVID-19 will be issued a violation. The fine for price gouging is $500. DCWP encourages consumers who are overcharged to file a complaint at nyc.gov/dcwp or contact 311 and say “overcharge.”
• DCWP also reminds New Yorkers that they have the right to sick leave and should use it if they are feeling ill. Under the NYC Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, employers with five or more employees who work more than 80 hours per calendar year in NYC must provide paid safe and sick leave to employees. Employers with fewer than five employees must provide unpaid safe and sick leave. Covered employees have the right to use safe and sick leave for the care and treatment of themselves or a family member.
Alternate Side Parking
Alternate Side Parking rules are suspended from March 18-24. Payment at parking meters remains in effect.
Staying informed
• The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has a coronavirus factsheet available in 22 languages, as well as updated information and guidance at nyc.gov/coronavirus
• There is a lot of misinformation spreading, especially online. For the latest updates, from the City, text COVID to 692-692
Best,
NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs