As the spread of the coronavirus shows few signs of slowing down and people increasingly settle into what is becoming known as the “new normal”, it is important to remain vigilant against the measures remaining in place or even being reinstated to control the virus spread. Governments need to continuously ensure that these measures remain proportional for fighting the virus, while also respecting the human rights of their citizens.

Seven months into 2020, some countries in the regions earliest hit by the virus, like Asia and Europe, have started to relax some of the harshest restrictions put in place earlier this year. In some countries, where the virus spread is under control, life is slowly taking steps to return to normalcy.

However, crucial aspects of functioning societies such as large gatherings show few signs of being allowed to return anytime soon in most of the world.

As the months go on without an end to the pandemic insight, the temporary nature of such measures naturally becomes questionable. Some countries, like the UK, have postponed elections until 2021 in the hope that they will be able to be conducted normally by then, while other countries have conducted elections with restrictions. With traditional campaigning being all but impossible in countries with varying levels of lockdown, opposition candidates find themselves at a disadvantage compared to incumbents who deliver virus updates in the media with high frequencies.

The Global Monitor of COVID-19’s impact on Democracy and Human Rights, developed by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), regularly categorises countries’ coronavirus measures. Countries are classified into the following three categories:

1. No evidence that measures taken are undemocratic, being disproportionate, unnecessary, illegal or indefinite.
2. Potentially concerning – to watch: COVID-19 related measures or developments to watch from a democracy and human rights perspective. These may lead to a violation of human rights or democratic benchmarks and be considered disproportionate, unnecessary, illegal or indefinite if enforced or maintained over time.
3. Concerning developments from a democracy and human rights perspective. COVID-19 related measures or developments that violate human rights or democratic benchmarks, because considered either disproportionate, unnecessary, illegal or indefinite.

As of 16 July, a majority of the world is classified as having concerning developments within democracy and human rights. Only a very small number of countries, fall into the first category.

It is crucial that liberals keep vigilant of how these unprecedented restrictions on the movement and freedom of individuals are maintained and to constantly evaluate whether they are proportionate to the benefit they give to public health. It is particularly important to ensure that the machinery of democracy may operate as well as possible during restrictions, to keep both societies and citizens healthy.

Liberals must not fall into the “new normal” and allow it to rapidly compromise democratic and human rights.

Picture: IEC South Africa, an IEC voting station.