COVID-19 and Defences in the Law of State Responsibility

COVID-19 and Defences in the Law of State Responsibility

As at 16 March 2020, there were nearly 165,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 6,470 deaths in 146 countries or territories. The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the Director-General of the WHO on 30 January 2020 which, according to the 2005 International Health Regulations, is an 'extraordinary event' which, as the WHO further explains, is 'serious, unusual or unexpected' carries trans-national implications, and may require immediate international action. On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared it a pandemic. Several States have taken measures in an attempt to contain and mitigate the spread of the disease, and many have declared states of emergency in accordance with their own domestic laws. On Monday 9 March 2020, Italy was the first country to impose a nationwide lockdown to slow Europe's worst COVID-19 outbreak. Before this, China had imposed similar measures affecting Hubei Province. Similar measures have been adopted in many other States, as the virus continues to spread.