Just before a three-week lockdown in the country of Malawi was due to take place, the country’s high court temporarily blocked the motion. Originally, President Arthur Peter Mutharika declared a state of national disaster on March 20, followed by a series of decrees banning large crowds and suspending visas from infected regions on March 23. On April 1, the government officially classified COVID-19 as a “formidable disease,” a designation that allows the Minister of Health to enforce strict public health regulations as necessary. In response to this ruling, current Minister J.C.M. Mhango issued the lockdown order on April 8. The order was due to take effect on April 18, and last until May 9. However, four different groups – including the Human Rights Defenders Coalition – appealed the decision, stating that their concern was not over the lockdown itself, but rather the lack of specific details and protections therein. More specifically, they expressed concern that the government has not offered adequate support systems for lower-income citizens.
Source: Goitom, Hanibal. 2020, April 29. Malawi: High Court Temporarily Blocks COVID-19 Lockdown. Global Legal Monitor.