This study was prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), at the request of the Government of Mexico in its capacity as Pro Tempore Chair of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), at the virtual ministerial meeting on health matters for response and follow-up to the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, held on 26 March 2020. The report addresses three topics: the economic and social impacts of the pandemic in the region, the actions taken by ECLAC in response to the request by CELAC and, on the basis of these, a set of policy recommendations to address the pandemic and its effects in different areas.