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.
Helping governments to understand and compare policy responses
The government response tracker is designed to help researchers, policymakers and citizens understand whether increasingly strict measures affect the rate of infection, and identify what causes governments to implement stricter or less strict measures.
Pop-up bike lanes help with physical distancing
To ensure that people follow social distancing rules, a district in Berlin temporarily widenes cycle lanes.
Parliament provides virtual tours
Since the Austrian parliament building is closed to visitors due to Covid-19 social distancing measures, it offers virtual tours live via YouTube.
Virtual assistant providing reliable information
In Latvia, an easily integrable chatbot offers reliable information on Covid-19.
Using Facebook Live and Youtube to communicate with citizens
To reach a diverse set of audiences, the Mayor of Bratislava uses Facebook Live and Youtube to interact with citizens and motivate them.
An urban crowdsourcing platform for mutual aid
To connect those who offer help and those who need help, the City of Linz created a crowdsourcing platform.
Basic income for citizens
In April 2020 the Brazilian Congress decided to implement a basic income which is more than half of the Brazilian minimum monthly wage for the time of the coronavirus crisis.
Government offers free webinars for a “safe home office”
The government of the Austrian province Lower Austria offers free and publicly accessible webinars on the topic of “Secure Home Office”. They inform citizens on how to protect themselves and their data.
A list of evidence sources for health- and social-system leaders
To provide political leaders, civil servants and other decision-makers in the political and public sphere with a knowledge base, McMaster University put together a list of evidence sources.
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.
Daily sports lessons for elementary school children
In partnership with the Austrian Ministry of Education, SPORTUNION launched an online sports programme via Zoom and Facebook.
An Innovation Map helps people to adapt to life during the COVID-19
A worldwide Innovation Map was launched to provide citizens with an overview of innovations helping to adapt to life during the coronavirus pandemic.