Human rights will help governments make the right decisions on quarantine

The Human Rights Law Centre’s Executive Director, Hugh de Kretser today gave evidence to the COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry covering his personal experience of hotel quarantine and outlining the human rights obligations for the Victorian Government under Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights.

“Governments have human rights obligations to protect life and public health. Quarantine is an important part of that protection but it has to be done properly and humanely. Our experience at the Rydges was that while some things worked very well, others fell short,” said Mr de Kretser.

“The rooms were unclean and staff seemed to change constantly and move between facilities, creating risks of infection spread. On at least two occasions a staff member came to our room without a face mask. People were also detained in their rooms for almost the entire time without any fresh air or exercise breaks. This is particularly concerning for children and people with mental health concerns.”

“We need to learn from the mistakes that have happened and get this right to protect the community, the staff and the people being detained,” said de Kretser.

“Whether it’s about quarantine, masks or curfews, human rights provide a compass to guide governments in making the right decisions to respond to this pandemic. They help all of us assess whether our governments are doing enough, getting it right or going too far. They ensure that even in dark times like these, we hold on to the values we all share, like fairness, compassion, dignity and respect,” said de Kretser.

A copy of Mr de Kretser’s statement and submission is here.

Media contact:

Michelle Bennett, Communications Director: 0419 100 519