This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
On April 23, 2020, the government's management of isolation and quarantine centres was under scrutiny. The centres had become a source of resentment, eroding citizens' confidence and trust in the government's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Yet, the war against Covid-19 is collective, and citizens must cooperate with the government for the campaign to succeed. However, they cannot cooperate when the government criminalises and stigmatises institutions and processes meant to curb the spread of the virus.
Reports from the centres were horrifying, with individuals being seized and thrown into the centres without essential provisions. The centres were not properly managed, with no controls, people interacting easily and sharing facilities without due regard to hygiene protocols.
Essential utilities were sorely lacking, and medical tests took long to be administered and so were the results. Individuals were not advised on what to expect and how to behave while under quarantine.
Not surprisingly, extreme cases had been reported of partying and merrymaking at the centres, providing a conducive environment for infections. Matters had been made worse in recent weeks when quarantine was prescribed as a penalty for anyone found flouting restrictions.
The authorities had been unequivocal that anyone found transgressing those regulations would be put into forced quarantine at their cost, precisely sending the message that quarantining was punitive and not a safety measure.
The government needs to evaluate how it manages these centres, which are neither police cells nor prisons. Individuals do not become criminals because they have been sent to the centres, and neither do they lose rights and dignity.
