Question

Evaluate the extent to which right to human dignity of individuals were infringed upon during the Covid 19 lockdown

Answer 1

Answer:

“This virus is no respecter of persons.”[i] Coronavirus is a pandemic of global proportions which some have termed the third world war.[ii] Due to the pandemic, quarantine measures have been put in place across the globe. While typically restriction of movement of free people would fall under a human rights violation, there is an exception for threats to a nation that pandemics fall under. Nonetheless this exception does not cover the human rights violations in the enforcement of quarantine measures which have been brought to light around the globe. This abusive policing is not new, but the media coverage in most cases is. In response, the U.N. in a resolution about the Coronavirus pandemic should include recommendations that address these abuses.

As of April 13, 2020 Coronavirus has been around for less than 6 months and has been contracted through person-to-person contact by people in over 200 countries.[iii] By contrast, HIV/AIDS was found in 1983, can only be contracted through specific activities where body fluids are present, and incidents—after 37 years—have only been found in 142 countries (however, 32 million have died).[iv] The most recent Ebola crisis lasted from 2014–2016, was transmitted through direct contact with infected fluids, and spanned across just three African nations.[v] When a pandemic, such as AIDS and Ebola have been deemed “a threat to international peace and security” the United Nations Security Council has been known to step in by adopting resolutions.[vi] Today, the U.N. Security Council is mulling over some draft resolutions in response to Coronavirus, but without U.N. guidance countries have imposed quarantine and social distancing measures on their own. It is the enforcement of such quarantine measures that has concerning human rights implications.