Rapporto ISS COVID-19 n. 34/2020 English version - Territorial surveillance and protection of public health: some ethical and legal issues. Version of May 25, 2020

Istituto Superiore di Sanità
Territorial surveillance and protection of public health: some ethical and legal issues. Version of May 25, 2020.
ISS Bioethics COVID-19 Working Group
2020, iii, 15 p. Rapporto ISS COVID-19 n. 34/2020 - English version

This report examines a few ethical and legal aspects related to public health surveillance and protection activities, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In emergency situations, for the protection of collective health, control measures may impose restrictions on the individual, drawing a new and temporary boundary to his freedom. The measures put in place to contain the contagion may lead to a conflict between personal rights and collective interests. Ethical reflection is fundamental to assess that an adequate balance between the epidemiological effectiveness of interventions and respect for people’s fundamental rights is always guaranteed, even in emergency conditions.