On 3 February 2020, the Belgian Act of 20 December 2019 amending various legal provisions concerning shortages of medicinal products (‘Act’) was published in the Belgian State Gazette. The Act’s provisions will enter into force on 13 February 2020, with the exception of Articles 2 and 4 which entered into force on 31 January 2020 ...
A recent report published by the White House Council of Economic Advisers (“CEA”) on drug pricing in the United States of America has put the cost of medicine and the access thereto by the poor, firmly back in the spotlight. And on a global scale. In the CEA report, President Donald Trump’s administration argues that the USA pays higher prices for pharmaceuticals because other developed countries have systems in place to actively force down drug pricing ...
On March 3, 2020, Attorney General William Barr announced the National Nursing Home Initiative—a new U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) taskforce organized to push criminal and civil enforcement action against nursing homes across the country. The initiative will help coordinate DOJ enforcement actions against nursing homes that provide “grossly substandard care ...
The Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman envisages a holistic vision of healthcare that translates into wellness of the citizen ...
Plaintiffs’ counsel in pharmaceutical product liability cases continue to pursue depositions of company sales representatives and seek to elicit testimony supporting their common theme that pharmaceutical companies disregard the health and safety of their consumers in the dogged, single-minded pursuit of sales and profits ...
COVID-19: health and safety protocol - Last night the Italian Government and National representatives of employers’ associations and unions have reached an agreement over a COVID-19 health & safety protocol that employers need to implement to ensure the maximum possible protection of their employees against the COVID-19 virus. This protocol is a crucial step to allow business continuity for manufacturing companies and professional service providers ...
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Bank of Mauritius has been closely monitoring its economic impact on the banking sector and the Mauritian economy.On 10 March 2020, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Mauritius reduced the key repo rate by 50 basis points to 2.85% per annum and on 13 March 2020, the Bank of Mauritius introduced a Support Programme to further assist Mauritian Businesses across all economic sectors ...
Following the South African President’s speech on 15 March 2020 that a national state of disaster has been declared in terms of the coronavirus (COVID-19), a number of measures were implemented to counteract the impact of the virus by the South African Government. We cover below the legal implications of some of these measures, particularly the repayment of bookings and data protection ...
This article is an updated version of the article published on 16 March 2020. On 15 March 2020, South African President Ramaphosa announced the declaration of a national state of disaster, as a result of the recent events surrounding the rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in South Africa. The declaration of a national disaster was made in terms of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (the "DMA") ...
On 15 March 2020, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act, 2002. This declaration will enable government to have an integrated and coordinated disaster management mechanism that will focus on preventing and reducing the outbreak of Covid-19, otherwise known as the Coronavirus. The president announced measures that South Africa will take to prevent and control of the Coronavirus ...
On 17 February 2020, we wrote our first notes on the effect of the virus on shipping. Since then, both the outbreak as well as the measures against it are spreading wider. Link to our first article about the Covid-19 and its impact on Shipping. We have received numerous queries from our clients and have assisted in establishing management plans for situations ranging from chartering, to shipbuilding and sale and purchase through to notices to master and crew on board ...
The coronavirus is making a significant impact to our daily lives in every respect. This includes a growing impact on the global economy and the day-to-day business activities of pharmaceutical and medical device companies. This legal alert summarizes the evolving situation and its implications on the operations of life sciences companies. HHS Declaration of Liability Immunity Issued The U.S ...
The Ohio State Dental Board (“Dental Board”) issued a COVID-19 advisory Monday, March 16, 2020, at the direction and request of Governor Mike DeWine ...
On Friday, March 13, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced several waivers of existing Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) regulations pursuant to Section 1135(b) of the Social Security Act, including the waiver of certain Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) obligations and Medicare conditions of participation during the COVID-19 pandemic ...
During the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), nursing home safety is a top priority, since most of the residents are at a higher risk of getting sick from the virus.[1] To help control and prevent the spread of the virus in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided additional guidance on March 13, 2020 ...
Below is a summary of key regulatory measures and restrictions introduced by Ukraine in response to a public health challenge caused by COVID-2019. This update speaks only as of its date. As the situation is highly dynamic, we encourage our clients to approach us directly for an up-to-date guidance. Immigration Foreign citizens are temporarily banned from entering Ukraine ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
