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.
Tools for transit agencies and cities
A selection of resources helps cities and transit agencies to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
Setting up a situation centre to develop new childcare offers for the summer of 2020
The city of Essen set up a “Situation Centre Summer Holidays” with the aim to develop childcare, leisure activities and education for Essen’s children and young people for the 2020 summer holidays.
Multilingual education material
A Norwegian platform offers educational material in Norwegian as well as in the country’s main immigrant languages.
Government loans for small businesses
To support businesses with fewer than 500 employees, the city of New York offers a loan-based Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
A platform for businesses to collaborate against Covid-19
A platform connects businesses providing solutions for Covid-19 with those who need help.
Collecting Open Government Approaches to Covid-19
The Open Government Partnership activated its community to provide the general public with information on open government approaches to tackle Covid-19.
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.
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.
Virtual assistants answer citizens’ pressing questions related to Covid-19
The government of Panama developed two virtual assistants named Rosa and Paco. Both help citizens by answering questions about health and security matters during the coronavirus crisis.
Supporting local shops that offer home delivery
A geo-referenced online map shows the small neighborhood shops and businesses that sell essential goods and offer home delivery.
Retired teachers support students and parents
The city of Klagenfurt starts a service hotline which connects retired teachers with pupils who need educational support in main subjects.