The United Nations has a plan to slow the spread of COVID-19. The UN said the world's poorest people should get a basic income. It said this could slow down the current rise in coronavirus cases. The money would mean about 2.7 billion people could stay at home. This would reduce the risk of them spreading the virus. The UN suggested giving the money to poor people in 132 developing countries. The cost of this would be about $199 billion per month. The UN said: "Unprecedented times call for unprecedented social and economic measures."
The UN said the basic income would mean giving money to people instead of economies. It said: "Bailouts and recovery plans cannot only focus on big markets and big business. A temporary basic income would allow governments to give people in lockdown a financial lifeline, inject cash back into local economies to help keep small businesses afloat, and slow the devastating spread of COVID-19." It said there are many people without insurance and many workers without contracts. There are also many low-paid people. It also said refugees, migrants, and people with disabilities need help.