As for most people around the world, COVID-19 pandemic is high on my mind. This is what I discuss professionally every day with my United Nations colleagues in Uganda. The experience so far demonstrates criticality of a system-wide approach as everyone recognizes that the pandemic is not a health issue alone but has multiple social and economic dimensions and requires concerted efforts of all government agencies, non-government organizations and businesses. Together with my colleagues at UNCDF, we released a few days ago a guidance note on local government finance for COVID-19 emergency response https://uncdf.link/covid19-lgfinance.
I’m sharing some ideas about how local governments around the world can contribute (and in fact are contributing!) to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
Local government epidemic response may cover six broad areas: (1) increasing the capacity of the local healthcare system; (2) community awareness and mobilization; (3) enhancing social protection measures;
(4) enforcement of public order and regulations to prevent and contain the infection; (4) continued provision of essential services (5) relief measures for local economies. The scope of the response and the specific actions depend on the statutory competences and responsibilities of local governments and their fiscal position which determines the amount of financial resources available.
Increasing the capacity of the local healthcare system is likely to be the primary concern of a local government. The pressure on the local health system at the time of epidemics increases multifold but the excess capacity is normally very limited or plainly non-existent. Local governments may employ additional medical staff to boost the existing capacity (for example, retirees or medical school students). They may procure necessary equipment for existing healthcare facilities, public and private institutions, and population at large including acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE) and secure fit testing resources by third party vendors for respiratory protection and other equipment, such as infection control
supplies, digital thermometers, and other equipment costs associated with quarantine and isolation. Local governments may transform existing premises and build new facilities for isolation/quarantine related
activities and testing laboratories; provide transportation and lodging for medical staff and wrap around services like behavioral health services/support. It is important to note that whereas it is the local
healthcare system that is the target of these efforts, increasing the healthcare system capacity requires a sector-wide response and concerted action of many sectors and industries (public services, education,
transport, construction) as well as multiple public and private actors.
Community awareness and mobilization is critical for effective epidemic response for two reasons. Improved popular awareness about the decease, preventive measures, and the degree and scope of lockdowns helps contain the epidemic while at the same time easing the pressure on the local healthcare system. Community initiatives and contributions through volunteer actions, community labor, financial donations and donations of food and non-food items complement the existing public resources and
maintain social solidarity and cohesions at difficult times. Local governments engage in public outreach including media buys, collaboration with community organizations, printing, phone banks, updating web information, setting up local call centers to provide information, translating materials into appropriate languages.
Social protection measures become crucial to prevent the disproportionate impact of an epidemic on the most vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or very young, disabled, people living with HIV, poor and unemployed, slum residents, informal workers and others. Local governments are known to establish food and nonfood (particularly medicine) delivery systems for the elderly and disabled who are most vulnerable and whose mobility is restricted to help them comply with lockdown provisions. Local governments work with a partnership of the groceries industry, community pharmacies, local resilience and emergency
partners, and voluntary groups, to ensure that essential items can be delivered to those who need it. Some local governments introduced time slots for shops (e.g., early mornings) to serve only elderly customers.
Many local governments allocate resources to providers of safe accommodation to victims of sexual and domestic abuse and their children. Others introduce a complete ban on eviction from social or private
rented accommodation, rent payment deferrals, and enforce additional protection for renters to minimize their losses. Non-disconnect policies are introduced to prevent disconnection from public utilities, such as electricity and water, particularly for vulnerable populations. Local governments authorize the emergency use of public facilities to provide temporary shelter to people experiencing homelessness.
Support to the poor, unemployed and persons in precarious employment is another important measure implemented by local governments in cooperation with central governments and social insurance schemes. Specific actions include income replacement measures, such as cash allowances to poor and very poor households and vulnerable occupational groups, such as informal waste pickers. Local governments establish, extend and operate food and nonfood banks, meal centers and distribution points to cater for the neediest and disadvantaged. It is not just the poor and informal workers who benefit —by allowing vulnerable workers to social distance, the epidemic curve will have a greater chance of being
flattened, benefiting everyone by slowing the spread of the virus and allowing health systems to better cope.
Enforcement of public order and regulations to contain an epidemic is closely related to the community awareness and mobilization actions undertaken by local governments. Voluntary compliance with the
restrictions inevitable at the time of an epidemic is the best enforcement measure. Such compliance is based on full awareness about the ways of transmission, the risk of infection, effectiveness of prevention
measures and so on. Local governments are uniquely positioned to track implementation down to individuals, apartments, houses, communities, organizations and public facilities. They may do so by instituting regular checks, inspections, electronic recording and tracking systems. Local government’s role in keeping essentials like food and supplies flowing through organized, government-controlled arrangements is also essential. It involves regulation of the working hours of grocery stores, pharmacies
and other relevant suppliers while ensuring their compliance with preventive measures, such as social distancing. Local governments may introduce price controls to prevent hikes in the price of food and other
basic supplies and keep them affordable.
Continued provision of essential services is the foremost responsibility of local governments. Providing uninterrupted water, sewer, garbage collection, and utility services is a top priority. Demand for such
services may even increase at the time of emergency as its extension may be required to particularly vulnerable areas (for example, construction of new water points). On the other hand, demand for some other public services, such as education, culture may decline due to lockdown conditions whereas other services may be scaled back (e.g., road and sidewalk repair can be limited to emergency repairs only). This requires local governments to review, re-arrange or retrofit their service arrangements and reallocate
resources. For example, local government facilities (such as food markets) may be retrofitted to allow required social distancing and minimize physical contact. Local governments introduce or expand online or over the phone platforms for utility payments and delivery of some other services.
Relief measures for local economies are designed to dampen the economic consequences of an epidemic, particularly in the sectors likely to be among the hardest hit including transportation, tourism, and hotels,
and expedite economic recovery once an epidemic is over. In many countries, local governments are assigned an important role in supporting a vibrant local economy and promoting local economic development. As restaurants, tourist venues, and similar establishments scale back or close, this impacts individuals who rely on these jobs for their income.
Local options that can support small businesses most likely to be affected by the disruptions include, for example, deferment of tax and nontax payments and other dues for local businesses. A number of local governments are exploring potential ways to provide financial assistance to local residents and businesses, including (but not necessarily limited to) deferring certain local business and occupation (B&O) taxes, stopping utility shutoffs and waiving late fees, establishing temporary short-term street
parking for restaurant takeout, and providing per diem to employees to buy food and beverages from local restaurants. Local measures may also include deferred rent if the specific facts warrant it, for example if the facility in which the tenant’s business is located is closed due to the emergency. Local governments take measures to ensure that information on the prevention and containment of the epidemic and advisory on how to adjust their business models and processes reaches SMEs, including
through information via SME/enterprise agencies and SME associations.