Abstract
AbstractThe South African government announced the much-discussed stay-at-home order between March 27 and April 30, 2020, during what was known as lockdown level 5, which meant that citizens were not allowed to leave their homes. The objective of this study is to assess the stay-at-home order against the global principles of the UDBHR. It is deducible that, in reference to the UDBHR, the government possessed the right to curtail individual liberty, thereby not infringing on Article 5 of the UDBHR and therefore, in this context, passes the test of the UDBHR. However, it remains uncertain at present whether the limitation of freedom imposed by the South African stay-at-home order was successful in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and protecting individuals from harm. Initial investigations also indicate that individuals who are particularly vulnerable may not have received equitable treatment in accordance with the principle outlined in Article 10, therefore, it can be cautiously and modestly argued that the stay-at-home order does not withstand scrutiny when assessed against the UDBHR. Given the continued discussion about the efficacy of limiting freedom to control the spread of COVID-19, and the growing conviction that the advancement of justice is being called into question, the notion of least restriction ought to be considered seriously. Ten Have (2022) is correct in asserting that global bioethics should also seriously consider other principles beyond an almost exclusive focus on limiting individual freedom. The preliminary conclusion is that the potential implementation of the stay-at-home order in the future must be seriously reconsidered.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Health Policy,Health (social science)
Reference39 articles.
1. Abrahams, Z., S. Boisits, M. Schneider, M. Prince and C. Lund. 2022. The relationship between common mental disorders (CMDs), food insecurity and domestic violence in pregnant women during the COVID-19 lockdown in Cape Town, South Africa. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 57: 37–46.
2. Adebiyi, B.O., N.V. Roman, R. Chinyakata, and T.V. Balogun. 2021. The negative impacts of COVID-19 containment measures on South African families—Overview and recommendations. The Open Public Health Journal 14: 233–238.
3. Alex, B., C. Herkulaas, and S. Benjamin. 2020. COVID-19 in South Africa. Global Epidemiology: 2.
4. Berenson, A. 2021. Unreported truths about COVID-19 and lockdowns. Combined parts 1–3: Death counts, lockdowns, and masks. Blue Deep, Inc.
5. Bohler-Muller, N., Y.D. Davids, B. Roberts, and M. Bekker. 2020. Human rights remain essential during the COVID-19 crisis. Daily Maverick. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-05-05-human-rights-remain-essential-during-the-covid-19-crisis/ Accessed August 3, 2022.