INAIL AND COVID-19

We receive from the authoritative lawyer Rolando Dubini, always available with his preparation, the desire to share knowledge, certainly oriented towards the common good, which we thank and report in full.

All workers in all sectors protected by Inail from Covid-19 contagion in the workplace.

Inail circular no. 13 of. April 3, 2020

Covid-19, the same benefits are guaranteed for workplace infections as for accidents

A new Inail circular provides information on protection for all workers insured with the Institute who have contracted the new Coronavirus infection

ROME – Infections with the new Coronavirus that occur in the workplace or due to the performance of work activities are protected in all respects as accidents at work. Circular no. specifies this. 13 of 3 April, with which the Institute provides information regarding the protections guaranteed to its insured.

“All confirmed cases of infection at work – explains the president of Inail, Franco Bettoni – will trigger full protection from the Institute, as for other accidents or illnesses, starting from the quarantine period. Furthermore, we have already taken steps to codify Covid-19 as a new disease-injury, for correct detection of cases for statistical-epidemiological purposes".

“This emergency – adds Bettoni – has also brought to the fore the need to guarantee the same protections to the millions of workers who are not insured with Inail and therefore cannot access annuities and compensation in the event of contagion. The recent extension to riders is only the first step in an expansion of the pool of our insured, which will have to include professions that are halfway between subordination and autonomy, which today are much more vulnerable in the face of the threat of the virus". 

The scope of Inail protection concerns first and foremost healthcare workers exposed to a high risk of contagion, aggravated to the point of becoming specific, given the high probability that these workers come into contact with the virus.

The same principle also applies to other categories that operate in constant contact with users, such as front-office and cashier workers, sales/counter clerks, non-healthcare hospital staff with technical and support tasks. , cleaners, and sick transport operators.

Insurance protection also extends to cases in which identifying the precise causes and working methods of the infection is more difficult. In such cases the circular explains that epidemiological, clinical, anamnestic and circumstantial elements must be used in order to guarantee full protection.

The initial term of protection starts from the first day of abstention from work, certified by the medical certification for infection, or from the first day of abstention from work coinciding with the start of quarantine, again due to infection with the new Coronavirus.

The certifying doctor must prepare and transmit the accident medical certificate electronically to INAIL. Furthermore, the obligation to report/report an accident remains for the employer when he becomes aware of the infection that has occurred to the worker.

In the event of death, family members are also entitled to the one-off financial benefit from the Fund for victims of serious accidents at work, also provided for workers not insured with Inail.

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