GENEVA (HRNW) – Governments using lockdowns and quarantines to fight the deadly new coronavirus must ensure people s rights are respected and avoid unintended consequences, the UN rights chief said Friday.
Michelle Bachelet said the response to the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus must place human dignity and rights at its centre.
Her office said lockdowns, quarantines and similar measures “should always be carried out in strict accordance with human rights standards and in a way that is necessary and proportionate”.
Bachelet s comments came as the number of people infected worldwide neared 100,000 across 85 nations, with more than 3,300 lives lost.
Most deaths and infections are in China, where the virus first emerged late last year, prompting the country to quarantine entire cities, temporarily shut factories and close schools indefinitely.
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