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SYDNEY: An Australian state’s decision to lock up more than 3,000 people in public housing towers to contain a second COVID-19 outbreak was not based on direct health advice and violated human rights, the state’s Ombudsman said of Victoria in a report.
Australia’s second-most populous state, Victoria, closed nine public housing towers for several days in July due to an increase in coronavirus cases.
Victoria’s interim health director had just 15 minutes to consider and approve the shutdown, including potential human rights impacts, Ombudsman Deborah Glass said in her report released Thursday (December 17).
“The hasty confinement was not compatible with the human rights of the residents, including their right to humane treatment when they were deprived of liberty … the action appeared to be against the law,” he said.
Residents of eight towers were confined to their apartments for five days, but the ninth tower, which had the highest number of infections, went through a total lockdown for two weeks.
Some ran out of food or medicine, while many others waited more than a week to leave, according to the report.
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The state government admitted mistakes were made, but said decisions were made to ensure the safety of residents.
“We make no apologies for saving people’s lives, absolutely no apologies for saving people’s lives,” Victoria State Housing Minister Richard Wynne told reporters.
It was not immediately clear Thursday if the findings would open any legal recourse for residents to pursue against the government.
Victoria was put under a statewide lockdown days after authorities closed the towers to contain new outbreaks, but has since effectively cleared the virus due to the lockdown.
No new cases have been reported in the state for 48 days in a row through Thursday.
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