An Australian state's decision to lockdown more than 3,000 people in public housing towers violated human rights, Victoria's Ombudsman Deborah Glass has declared.
The restrictions were imposed on 4 July in response to a due to a surge in coronavirus cases in Melbourne city. Residents in eight tower blocks were confined in 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 residents were left without food and medicines while many others waited more than a week to be allowed outside, the report said.
Victoria's acting chief health officer had only 15 minutes to consider and approve the lockdown, including the potential human rights impacts, Ms Glass