While some Australians were happy with their response to the pandemic, the Human Rights Commission has discovered several human rights violations.
Australia was one of the few countries in the world that prevented people from actually leaving the country during the Covid-19 pandemic, says the Australian Human Rights Commission.
This was one of the many findings in the committee’s March 11 report, “Collected Loss.” Human rights have been found to be generally violated during the response to the pandemic.
The report also reflects financial difficulties, women trapped in slow households, and families who are unable to visit their dying relatives.
Also, 3,000 Australians were investigated by the committee between May and June 2024, with two in five calling for experience, two in five at a disadvantage and the other one feeling they had benefited.
“Extreme scale”
The committee said outward travel bans from March 2020 to November 2021 restricted citizens and residents from leaving the country without exemptions.
“The possibility of availability of less restrictive alternatives (such as strict re-entry standards) that would have achieved similar results raises questions about the need for restriction and proportionality.”
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The committee also highlighted the limited scope of exemptions from the regulations, along with a “criticism of contradictions” and a lack of transparency in how exemptions are managed.
Hotel Quarantine “Form of Detention”
The committee also described the use of hotel quarantine during the pandemic as a “form of detention.”
The body was noted under Article 9 of the United Nations International Contract on Civil and Political Rights, where a person is detained, it must be carried out under the law, not arbitrary.
“Forced quarantine during the pandemic is not an essential violation of Article 9, noting that these measures in Australia are designed to protect public health and have been established by law,” the committee said.
“However, the application of mandatory quarantine with only very limited exemptions, limited access to appeals or reviews of quarantine-related decisions, and the emergence of poor conditions and treatments in some quarantine facilities raises questions about arbitrarity and proportionality.”
The report noted that 879,000 Australians were estimated overseas at the time the country closed its borders, with over 300,000 returning by May 2020.
“The reality for Australians trying to get home during the early months of the pandemic was to navigate a different travel cap depending on the flights that were cancelled, ticket prices bulging, and which day you were back,” the report said.
Vaccines require people to “on the horns”
The committee also reflects the use of vaccine mandates, noting that vaccine passports have a significant impact on freedom of movement, privacy and access to goods and services.
“One of the comprehensive criticisms of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout was that some people felt that the vaccine orders would help them in the corner and that they had to choose whether they could get a job there or lose their jobs and not be able to participate in society. Some people felt that they weren’t actually given a meaningful choice.”
The Human Rights Commission said that everyone has the right not to participate in “medical or scientific experiments” without their consent.
Commissioner’s thoughts
Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay said Australia’s response was incurred by human costs.
“Measures such as international and interstate border closures, hotel quarantines, lockdowns, school closures, restrictions on elderly care facilities, vaccine mandates and mask orders had substantial and often hidden human costs,” she said.
“For those who have been separated from their loved ones due to border closures, Australia’s overall “success” diminishes personal experiences as they are stuck abroad, unable to comfort older parents trapped in aged care homes, or their children have struggled to re-marry at school since the long lockdown.”
Finlay acknowledged that Australia has a lot of “right” things to do in response to the pandemic, including relatively low mortality and strong economic performance compared to other countries.
But she said this wasn’t the big picture.
The committee found that three in five residents surveyed agreed that the Australian government “doesn’t do a good job” dealing with the pandemic.
Covid-19 survey says Australia did well
An investigation into the Australian federal government’s own response to Covid-19 to the pandemic was generally positive about the country’s response to the virus.
Research says that despite the lack of plans, Australia “has done well” compared to other countries that have experienced “loss of human life, collapse of the healthcare system and a more severe economic downturn.”
The survey received 2,201 public submissions from 305 organizations, 1,829 individuals, and 67 anonymous contributors.
“More than anything, Australia’s success in responding to the pandemic was a testament to our willingness to move the benefits of our community ahead of our self-interest and to all people as part of Team Australia,” the survey said.
