Politicians, policy makers and public servants have never faced a situation like this. They immediately need policies that really work. Best practices can serve as an inspiration, a starting point and a proof of concept.
Providing citizens with iPads for virtual family reunions
To make it possible for families to reunite at least virtually, the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are supplying their wards with 100 iPads, complete with FaceTime, Skype and Zoom.
Map of locations for free meals
The city of Philadelphia has created a map for places offering free food.
Using bluetooth to contain the spread of the coronavirus
To reduce the rate of infection and help people avoid infection, Bluetooth can be used to detect users when get close enough to infect each other.
Reconfiguring streets for physical distancing
The city of Portland gives more space to pedestrians and cyclists to make sure that commuters can move freely in times of physical distancing.
Organising an online City Council meeting
Ghent (Belgium) councillors followed the council meeting online on their home computers. It was the largest digital council meeting ever held in Flanders.
A municipality’s free online home fitness service
To keep its citizens fit during quarantine, the municipality of Chiavari, in partnership with health professionals, started free online fitness classes.
Digitally equipped cabins to provide government services to citizens
The Polish city of Otwock installed six cabins equipped with a computer, microphone, camera and multifunction device to keep up government services.
A government’s education resource centre
To support the education sector, non-governmental organisations and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Slovak Republic launched an online platform with up-to-date information and guidelines for schools, teachers, parents, and students.
Making international best practices in policy available to politicians
For both, policy makers as well as politicians, in times of crises it is imperative to have a comprehensive database of policy options at hand.
Government funding competition for businesses
By fast-tracking innovation, the UK government aims to become better placed to maintain employment levels and make the UK more resilient to similar disruptions.
Discovering a whole country from home
An online platform lets people experience their country and learn new skills for free while staying home.
Local business support platform
An online platform lets customers buy vouchers from small local businesses for later use to support them in the current situation.