The number of people who are put in is increasing mandatory quarantine or because they are confirmed cases of coronavirus or because they constitute close contact of a confirmed case.
Something that strongly concerns people who are placed in compulsory quarantine, is whether or not they are entitled to receive any allowance by the state, for how many days and in what percentage of the salary they receive.
Apart from the above, many do not know who should submit the relevant application to the Ministry of Labor. That is, if they have to submit it themselves or their employer.
In response to the above, the Brief contacted her Deputy Director of Social Insurance, Evangelia Georgiadou.
Sickness benefit and conditions
First, Ms. Georgiadou clarified that, "people who are placed in self-restraint (quarantine) either because they are confirmed cases or because they are case contacts, are entitled to sickness benefit, provided that they obtain a relevant certificate either from their Personal Physician or from the State Medical Services ".
He also continued, so that these people can receive sickness benefit, they must also meet the conditions for payment of the allowance, ie to have paid contributions to the Social Insurance and not to be paid by their employer any salary (salary) for the period that they will be in self-limitation.
However, in order to become a beneficiary of the sickness allowance, added Ms. Georgiadou, necessarily submit an application at Social Security Services, within 21 days from the day of issuance of the relevant certificate-certificate by their Personal Doctor or by the Social Security Services, noting that in such cases a small extension can be given if needed.
In addition to the above, continue, to must not receive remuneration from his employer for the period of compulsory quarantine either because it is a case or because it is a case contact.
Who submits the application
Asked who should apply to the Social Security Services, she said the application is submitted by the employees themselves, but there is also a point in this that their employer must fill in.
For how long is he entitled to sick leave
Asked to say for how long the quarantined persons are entitled to receive sickness benefit, Ms. Georgiadou pointed out that, "sickness benefit is paid for the days required until the person is released, up to a maximum of 6 months, and provided that the relevant conditions are met, ie that someone has contributions to the Department of Social Insurance ".
How many days are paid and at what rate
Asked for how many days it will be possible to pay sickness benefit, Ms. Georgiadou said that for employees all days are paid, except the first three, while for the self-employed the first eight days are not paid.
As for amount of the allowance who will receive these people, stressed that the allowance corresponds to 60% of the weekly value of the insurance unit (or its fraction) that the insured has in his credit in his basic insurance, a percentage which increases according to the data of the applicant's family.
More details on how to determine the weekly amount of sickness benefit in the following table:
Priority in the examination of applications
Asked how long it takes to process sickness benefit applications, the Deputy Director of Social Security Services said: Efforts are being made to examine them as soon as possible, noting that priority is given to such applications.
«There is a slight delay in the payment of bonuses in general due to the large workload and understaffing of the Department, however, priority is given to coronavirus issues ", he explained.
The Special Absence Allowance is different
In addition, to say whether the sickness benefit is different for confirmed cases or close contact cases, from the Special Absence Allowance announced by the Minister of Labor, Zeta Aimilianidou, answered in the affirmative.
In particular and based on of those announced last Saturday (9/1) by the Minister of Labor, the application for Special Absenteeism Allowance is submitted by private sector employers who employ employees, who are on the list of patients at risk for severe COVID-19, which have been determined by the Ministry of Health in a Press Release dated 29 December 2020 or in any future revision and these employees hold a certificate from their personal physician as to the nature of their illness, in a special form posted on the website of the Ministry, provided that their employer certifies that the employee may not, due to the nature of his work, work remotely or in a place where they do not do business with the public
It is emphasized that, Employers participating in any of the Special Plans for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021 may not apply for their employees in accordance with the provisions of this Plan, but are obliged to include them in their applications in these Special Plans.
It is pointed out that, for the period for which the Special Absenteeism Allowance will be paid, the employer is released from his obligation to pay the salary to his employees who received this Special Work Absence Allowance.
It is noted, however, that the period of the Special Absence Allowance from Work will be considered a period of simulated insurance for the purposes of contributions to the Social Insurance Fund and the beneficiary's insurance account will be credited accordingly.
The categories of citizens with risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19
It is recalled that, according to the revised list of the Ministry of Health, the categories of citizens with risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19 are the folowing:
1 / Pre-existing Chronic Respiratory Disease (eg severe bronchial asthma, patient on chronic oxygen therapy or non-invasive ventilation [CPAP or BiPaP] at home, severe pulmonary hypertension (NYHA III and IV), severe pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonectomy / lobectomy).
2 / Severe Chronic Renal Failure (creatinine clearance below 15 ml / min and dialysis).
3 / Cardiac arrhythmia with permanent defibrillator or heart disease with permanent defibrillator and ventricular pacemaker.
4 / Heart Failure any etiology (ischemic or non-ischemic) stage according to NYHA III or IV.
5 / Cardiovascular disease:
Recent acute coronary syndrome or revascularization surgery: angioplasty or stent implantation in the last 12 months,
Aorto-coronary bypass (CABG (bypass)) in the last 12 months, and
Recent SLE in the last 12 months or with established neurological semiology.
6 / Cardiomyopathies (History of documented myocarditis, hypertrophic, dilated, invasive (amyloidosis)).
7 / Congenital heart diseases after surgical correction with significant residual damage or uncorrected congenital heart disease with significant residual damage.
8 / Active use of biological agents (eg TNF inhibitors, interleukin inhibitors) or other immunosuppressive drugs.
9 / Active chronic corticosteroids (≥20mg prednisone or its equivalent for ≥ 1 month).
10 / Patients with a history of transplantation solid organs or hematopoietic stem cells.
11 / Patients with solid organ or hematological malignancy, receiving chemotherapy or radiation or immunotherapy.
12 / HIV patients or patients with CD4 lymphocyte count <200 / mm3.
13 / Hereditary or acquired immunodeficiencies.
14 / Patients with hemoglobinopathies falling into Category C - Patients at Very High Risk, according to the recommendations of the International Thalassemia Federation.
Finally, it is noted that the categories have been selected based on the existing international literature and taking into account the epidemiological data of the disease epidemic so far COVID-19 in the international arena and in the Republic of Cyprus.