Corona: The nursing home residents deserve an apology

On the whole, the Swiss Corona measures were understandable, the authorities mostly acted proportionately, to the best of their knowledge and belief. But certainly not here: When it came to completely sealing off retirement homes, the decision-makers lost all sense of proportion. Now the Federal Council has also admitted in a report that the measure was not proportionate and that there was suffering.

Vital interests were ignored

To put it more clearly than the Federal Council: The measure was – unlike others – an unjustifiable disregard for human rights. The very old and very old were locked up in old people’s homes for many weeks or even months. They were not allowed to go out or receive visitors. They were forcibly separated from their relatives. The authorities argued that this was to protect them from the virus as they were particularly vulnerable. Corona could indeed be dangerous for many old people. However, other vital interests were completely ignored. For many, especially those with dementia, regular meetings with confidants are pure elixir of life, without which they can perish, at least mentally. Quality of life is an absolutely precious commodity for the residents, who naturally have relatively little time left.

The authorities made it easy

Most people would probably have preferred the risk of infection to long-term complete isolation. But neither those affected nor their relatives were asked. The fact that this freedom of choice did not exist is unacceptable. The authorities made it easy for themselves and adopted the ban on visits and going out from abroad. It quickly became clear that this was causing human tragedies in the homes, including medical ones. Nevertheless, the authorities stuck to the totalitarian measure for far too long. Not even meetings with masks in the fresh air were permitted.

Derailment of the rule of law

The Federal Council has now admitted that the quasi-contact ban was a mistake – in a factual manner. As part of a report commissioned by Parliament. Now that a large proportion of the victims of this derailment of the rule of law are likely to have already died. The report and remorseful interviews with Daniel Koch are not enough. A genuine official apology from the highest level would be the least that the people affected deserve. Also as a sign that something like this must not happen again. The Federal Council is at least promising to do better next time. And if not, there will probably be another report afterwards.