What is your chosen action from the above list?

Ethics Evaluation

Choose ONE of the following ethical issues related to the current coronavirus pandemic:

· Government-ordered forced shut down of non-essential businesses

· Closure of international borders

· Forced quarantine (including government-mandated curfews)

· Mask mandates (requirement to wear masks in public)

Next, evaluate the action on the basis of the conditions that must be met in order to consider the public health action justified. Walk me through your reasoning for EACH principle. Do not simply answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Each condition should be accompanied by a 3-4 sentence explanation of your thoughts and consideration of the question.

1) What is your chosen action from the above list?

2) Effectiveness: Is the action likely to accomplish the public health goal? (Additional questions to help shape your response: What is the public health goal? How does the action help achieve or not achieve the goal?)

3) Necessity: Is the action necessary to override the conflicting ethical claims to achieve the public health goal? (Additional questions to help shape your response: What are the conflicting ethical claims associated with taking the action? Is the action necessary to achieve the public health goal or are there alternatives?)

4) Least infringement: Is the action the least restrictive and least intrusive? (Additional questions to help shape your response: Are there alternatives that are less restrictive than the action?)

5) Proportionality: Will the probable benefits of the action outweigh the infringed moral norms and any negative effects? (Additional questions to help shape your response: What are the probable benefits? Is the potential outcome provide enough of a benefit over harms to justify infringing on moral norms and values?)

6) Impartiality: Are all potentially affected stakeholders treated impartially (equally)? (Additional questions to help shape your response: Who are the stakeholders? Stakeholders are anyone who is impacted by the action. Is there anyone who would be disproportionately impacted by the action? Consider based on social determinants of health—income, education level, housing, employment, etc)

7) Public justification: Can public health officials offer public justification that citizens, in particular those most affected, could find acceptable in principle? (Additional questions to help shape your response: What type of justification might make the action more acceptable to people? Is there no justification that people could find acceptable? Why or why not?)

8) After evaluating your responses above, tell me whether the action is ethical or not ethical, and be sure to provide a one or two paragraph reasoning.