Medical Association World expresses disapproval towards enforced night-time restrictions
In an interview ahead of a corona conference, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, the chairman of the World Medical Association, expressed his opposition to an evening curfew as a COVID-19 measure. Montgomery's views were shared with the Funke media group's newspapers.
Montgomery believes that an evening curfew would not achieve much due to the lower risk of infection outdoors compared to indoors. He stated that infections primarily occur during the day, not in the evenings and at night. This is especially relevant now, as restaurants, bars, and cinemas are already closed, making an evening curfew irrelevant.
Instead, Montgomery advocates for the expansion of home office options. He believes that this could help avoid infections at workplaces and reduce the use of public transport. By legally promoting home office where possible, Montgomery hopes to limit the spread of the virus in these settings.
Montgomery did not provide specific reasons for the need to expand home office beyond avoiding infections and reducing public transport usage in the current paragraph. However, it is clear that he sees this as a proactive measure to help control the spread of COVID-19.
In addition to his stance on home office, Montgomery also suggested expanding it as a means to reduce the use of public transport. This could further help in limiting the spread of the virus, as crowded public transport can increase the risk of infection.
It is important to note that Montgomery did not provide any specific arguments against implementing an evening curfew as a COVID-19 measure in the available documents. However, common arguments against evening curfews for COVID-19 control include the potential for people to gather in private settings, the difficulty in enforcement, and the disruption to essential services and night-time economy.
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- Montgomery's focus during the interview was not only on the evening curfew but also on promoting 'workplace-wellness' and 'health-and-wellness' by advocating for the expansion of home office, which he believes could aid in reducing infections at workplaces and curbing the use of public transport.
- In his view, expanding home office could prove beneficial in the current 'general-news' context of the pandemic and could be a part of broader 'policy-and-legislation' focusing on mental health and wellness in the workplace.
- Alongside this, Montgomery suggested that reducing the use of public transport could indirectly contribute to 'mental-health' improvements, as crowded transport increases stress levels and can lead to outbreaks of COVID-19.
- It is worth noting that Montgomery did not explicitly speak against implementing an evening curfew, but his emphasis on home office might support the understanding that he favors a proactive, 'science-based' approach to control the spread of the virus when compared to more restrictive measures.
