APF Community اتصل بنا

هذه الصفحة لا تحتوي على ترجمة بعد

دى آسيا و المحيط الهادئ يعمل نحو ترجمة موقعه الإلكتروني الى اللغة العربية. لاحظنا اهتمامكم بالحصول على هذا المصدر باللغة العربية وقد تم التاشير عليه للترجمة. اذا كنتم بحاجة لهذا المصدر بشكل مسعجل وضروري لاغراض مهنية، نرجوا مراسلة سكرتاريا المنتدى لمناقشة طلبكم.

الأخبار : مقالة

HRCSL issues guidelines on regularising quarantine processes

الجرافيك People walking in Sri Lanka

Commission’s guidelines on COVID-19 quarantine processes aim to ensure protection of human rights.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka commends all the efforts being made to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The Commission continues to recognise the need to restrict freedom of movement and liberty of people in the interests of public health and public order during an extraordinary health emergency.

The Commission has observed that a large number of persons have been subject to quarantine processes in view of the resurgence of the fear of spread of COVID-19 pandemic and has received a variety of complaints and expressions of concerns relating to the process.

In this regard, the Commission welcomes confirmation that first contacts of the COVID-19 infected patients who were earlier sent to quarantine centres, will now be home quarantined. We are in agreement that quarantining persons to their home will be the best option.

Since it is incumbent on the Commission to examine whether restrictions on liberty are compatible with our Constitution and international human rights obligations, having given due consideration to the concerns raised by the general public, the Commission presents the following guidelines.

The Commission is of the view that the quarantine process can be regularized under the law by:

  • Transparency in delegation of powers by the "proper authority"
  • Vest powers of testing on designated qualified personnel
  • List the places designated as quarantine centers and the designating authority
  • Clarify the period of required quarantining
  • Create a receipt system for quarantined persons including the reason for quarantine, the place they are being taken to and the length of isolation
  • External scrutiny of quarantine centers, especially by the "proper authority"
  • Prohibit those handling quarantine from informing the media of the proposed quarantining efforts, exposing those being quarantined to public gaze as though they were offenders rather than unfortunate victims of a virulent virus.

The Commission is also of the view the hardships imposed by the quarantining process can be ameliorated by:

  • Ensuring quarantined period is considered paid/duty leave
  • Ensuring financial or any other assistance to families of those in quarantine
  • The Grama Niladhari (village officer) be immediately informed when a person is quarantined
  • In the circumstances where the vulnerable dependents in the families are left behind due to quarantine process, the Grama Niladhari to ensure provision of all necessary support to vulnerable persons including alerting the proper authorities.

The Commission wishes to emphasize that nothing in these recommendations should be construed by any member of the public to act contrary to health guidelines issued by the public health authorities in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic or act in a manner that would be harmful to public health in general.

The Commission also reiterates that placing the persons of first contact with COVID-19 patients under home quarantine will remove most of the concerns listed above but is issuing these recommendations in the event the government wishes to establish quarantine processes again in the future.

Date: 2 November 2020

Source: Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka


مصادر الصورة

  1. People walking in Sri Lanka - Brian Kyed on Unsplash