Brickbat: Lockdowns Down Under

The government of Victoria, Australia, has agreed to pay about $5 million (about $3.2 million U.S.) to settle a lawsuit brought by residents of Melbourne public housing who were forced into a hard 14-day COVID-19 lockdown with no warning in July 2020. Some 3,000 people may be eligible for compensation. Despite the settlement, the government still refuses to apologize to the residents. A report from the Victoria ombudsman said the rushed introduction of the lockdown was "not compatible with the residents' human rights" but defended the lockdown itself.