EIG COVID-19 Update | April 10, 2020

We’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first, and our mission to uncomplicate the complicated. We hope the below updates help to make sense of the changes happening across the world.

International Updates

Bulgaria | The government will accelerate its plans to join the Eurozone, applying for membership by the end of the month.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said, “This crisis has shown us that those who are in the Eurozone and in its ‘waiting room’ will have billions of euros for recovery. Those who are not will have to take on debt at high-interest rates.”
Case Update: 47 new cases, 100% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

EU | A day after finance ministers announced a half-trillion euro economic package, the President of the European Council Charles Michel announced that EU leaders will have a conference on April 23 by video to discuss the economic response to the coronavirus.

“It is time to lay the ground for a robust economic recovery. This plan has to relaunch our economies whilst promoting economic convergence in the EU. The EU budget will have to play a meaningful role here,” Michel tweeted.

France | From the Notre Dame cathedral, the Archbishop of Paris held a ceremony in celebration of the Easter holiday with a message of rebirth for a country battling the coronavirus.

“Today we are in this half-collapsed cathedral to say that life continues… As we are going to celebrate Easter, we will celebrate life which is stronger than death, love stronger than hate,” said Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit.
Case Update: 8,125 new cases, 100% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

Ireland | The government extended the stay-at-home order until May 5.
Case Update: 1,684 new cases, 100% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

Kazakhstan | The government is extending the state of emergency until the end of April. Some businesses will be allowed to reopen at the initially planned end-date of April 15.
Case Update: 93 new cases, 100% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

Malaysia | The government extended movement and travel restrictions until April 28.
Case Update: 109 new cases, -30.13% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

The Philippines | In an order issued last week but made public today, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has banned healthcare workers from going abroad. The order is “to prioritize human resource allocation for the national health care system,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay tweeted.
Case Update: 206 new cases, 94.34% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

The UK | Prime Minister Boris Johnson is out of the ICU and still in the hospital recovering from symptoms related to COVID-19.
Case Update: 9,835 new cases, 100% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

The US | According to a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), three local governments will sign agreements to become the first to adopt a location-tracking app to prevent new community outbreaks of the novel coronavirus
Case Update: 30,859 new cases, -2.68% daily change, Last updated: 2020/4/10, 8:00 PM CEST

Erickson Immigration Group’s Immigration Nerds podcast is sharing stories at the cross-section of immigration, culture, travel, and, for now, the coronavirus. If you have stories to share, like this week’s guest Chijioke Ikonte, who shares his experience as a foreign-born med student, we want to hear from you.

We will continue to send updates daily or as more COVID-19-related news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or in past updates or want to hear more about a different topic, just reply to let us know. If you have specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.