Evaluate the extent to which the following basic human rights of individual were infringed upon during the covid 19 lockdown Right to human dignity Right to equality free from discrimination
Answers
Answer:
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that an outbreak of the viral disease COVID-19 – first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China – had reached the level of a global pandemic. Citing concerns with “the alarming levels of spread and severity,” the WHO called for governments to take urgent and aggressive action to stop the spread of the virus.
International human rights law guarantees everyone the right to the highest attainable standard of health and obligates governments to take steps to prevent threats to public health and to provide medical care to those who need it. Human rights law also recognizes that in the context of serious public health threats and public emergencies threatening the life of the nation, restrictions on some rights can be justified when they have a legal basis, are strictly necessary, based on scientific evidence and neither arbitrary nor discriminatory in application, of limited duration, respectful of human dignity, subject to review, and proportionate to achieve the objective.
The scale and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic clearly rises to the level of a public health threat that could justify restrictions on certain rights, such as those that result from the imposition of quarantine or isolation limiting freedom of movement. At the same time, careful attention to human rights such as non-discrimination and human rights principles such as transparency and respect for human dignity can foster an effective response amidst the turmoil and disruption that inevitably results in times of crisis and limit the harms that can come from the imposition of overly broad measures that do not meet the above criteria.
Answer:
Lockdown and violation of Human Rights
Explanation:
The Global Pandemic Corona Virus has made our lives very difficult and has made uncountable changes in our routine life.All Schools,Colleges,Offices are closed for an infinite period of time because nobody wants to take any risk.
These measures are challenging several fundamental human rights, such as the right to health, the right to free movement, and even freedom of religion. Nonetheless, they are not without legitimate grounds.
1)The right to health
Since this is a public health emergency, the first on the list of human rights being compromised is the right to health and access to healthcare. In line with Article 35 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, everyone has the right to access preventive health care and the right to benefit from medical treatment. During the COVID-19 crisis, however, the number of people affected by coronavirus has broken all records, and as a result, healthcare systems are overwhelmed. With no adequate capacity in the system to meet their needs, healthcare professionals are turning patients away, costing a number of people their chance to exercise their right to healthcare.
2)Freedom of movement
In Italy, as in France and Spain, authorities have imposed strict quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Following the closure of shops, sports and arts venues, lockdowns and travel authorisation documents have taken priority over freedom of movement, enshrined as it is in Article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
In this category we can also include the right not to be stopped arbitrarily by police for aggressive inspections. However, these restrictions are legitimate if there is a serious risk to public health; the only fault of these measures is the fact that they have been imposed for a indefinite length of time.
3)Ban on discrimination
This public health crisis has brought to light a crisis of human values, as Chinese and East Asian people have been denied entry to bars, museums, even whole countries, and have been discriminated against solely on the grounds that the outbreak of the virus began in China. These actions, of course, constitute discrimination on the basis of nationality and are prohibited (even in times of war) by both European and international law.
4)The right to access information
In this public health crisis, a lot of fake news is circulating with the aim of fuelling fear and panic among the public. “Fake news spreads faster and more easily than the virus, and is just as dangerous,” Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, as well as condemning fake online cures for Covid-19.
Disinformation and propaganda provoke panic. They undermine the efforts of governments and health authorities, and they undermine our right to access official and accurate information.
6)Freedom of religion
Even freedom of religion has been impacted by measures to control the pandemic, as places of worship have now been closed to avoid overcrowding. Additionally, established religious traditions will not be taking place at Easter, depriving thousands of believers of their right to express their religion in community with others (Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union).
7)“Human dignity and rights need to be front and centre in this effort, not an afterthought”.These rights (apart from the prohibition of discrimination) can be restricted.