translated from Spanish: Companies will have to take out covid insurance for workers

A year after discussions began on the conditions under which workers will be able to resume face-to-face work in the midst of the pandemic, this week the Safe Returns act went into effect, which, among other rules, establishes the obligation for companies to take out covid insurance for all their employees.
This was reported yesterday by the Ministry of Labor, from where they specified that individual coverage is mandatory for each employee who labures in person, either totally or partially.
The insurance will cover medical expenses in the face of an infection, to finance or reimburse hospitalization and rehabilitation costs. Compensation is also included in the event of the natural death of the insured person with or due to the spread of the virus. Employers who do not take out the insurance will be punished and will have to pay the expenses.
The new law also provides that the insurance management bodies of the Law on Accidents at Work and Occupational Diseases draw up a protocol for their member companies. Minister Patricio Melero warned that companies that do not have a COVID protocol “will not be able to resume or start face-to-face work activity.”
It was also established that the option of teleworking should be offered to high-risk workers, such as those over 60 years of age, hypertensive, cardiovascular patients; with cancer; and transplant patients who continue with immunosuppression medications; among others. The same rule will apply to those who have a minor, older adult or person with a disability in their care. If their work cannot be done remotely, they should be assigned to areas without public attention.
“With this insurance and the additional measures we take a more extensive step in protecting workers from COVID on their return to work,” Melero said.
Employment protection
During the day, the extension until September of the Employment Protection Law, which allows the suspension of workers, was announced. This opens 3 additional transfers charged to the Solidarity Unemployment Fund of the Unemployment Insurance.

Original source in Spanish