As I see it | Bus crash that killed 27 on way to quarantine underscores dangers of China’s extreme zero-Covid measures
- While other countries shed pandemic policies, such as contact tracing and forced isolation, China is moving to institutionalise its extreme measures
- There are clear signs that Beijing’s tough zero-Covid approach is no longer justifiable
In times of emergency, some governments invoke extreme measures that might violate people’s rights in order to protect the majority.
The privacy of a person might have to be invaded, temporarily.
Tracking apps were used by countries such as South Korea and Singapore to keep tabs on people’s movements to identify close contacts of positive cases.
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Residents in China argue with guard to leave apartment blocks during deadly earthquake
However, these were intended as temporary measures during an emergency. The public sacrificed its rights in this extreme situation to buy time for inoculations, research for treatment and greater healthcare capacity.
Scientists hoped it would afford time for the virus to become less lethal, although that was never guaranteed.