(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a covered employee who is entitled to compensation under this subtitle for a permanent partial disability shall receive minimum weekly compensation of $50.

(b) If the covered employee has an average weekly wage of less than $50 at the time of the accidental personal injury or the last injurious exposure to the hazards of the occupational disease, the covered employee shall receive minimum compensation that equals the average weekly wage of the covered employee.