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.
Public volunteer programme to support a country’s health structures
To meet the growing demands within a country’s health system, a volunteer programme for doctors, nurses, paramedics, psychologists, and students and retirees with a health or nursing background was set up.
Distributing laptops to students for remote learning
To ensure that all students are provided with laptops for digital learning, a US county gives free laptops to students in need.
Banishing car traffic from the city’s streets
To provide bicyclists and pedestrians with more space on the streets for commuting and exercising, the city of Oakland banishes car traffic from 74 miles of its streets.
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.
A volunteer-based government initiative to deal with long-term quarantine
A government-supported initiative is calling for volunteers to assist citizens by safely delivering essential goods and supplies.
Connecting businesses and individuals to find solutions for key challenges
Life Sciences Hub Wales connects innovators to accelerate the development of urgently needed products and treatments and to ease the pressures on health care services.
Instagram channel promotes supporting local businesses
An Instagram channel presents small businesses and ways to support them.
ID could function as a debit card to receive financial benefits
A government is exploring ways to transfer benefits to citizens without bank accounts.
Deferring businesses’ taxes and utility bills
To help businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic and giving them more flexibility, the city of Seattle is deferring businesses’ taxes and utility bills.
Using AI to detect temperatures of people in high-density urban areas
Recent technological advances can be used to to liberate health professionals from risky tasks.
Pop-up bike lanes help with physical distancing
To ensure that people follow social distancing rules, a district in Berlin temporarily widenes cycle lanes.
Cities are rapidly expanding their cycle networks
Instead of only temporarily opening more bicycle lanes during the Covid-19 crisis, some big cities are rethinking traffic and public transport.