B12 : Freedom of movement in the face of public health emergency: lessons from COVID-19

There are many lessons to be derived from the pandemic.  The acceleration of the use of technology, the clear ability of organisations and governments to rapidly and flexibly adopt new systems and priorities, and the application of constraints on the population have all been significant features.  It is an essential freedom that people can move and travel and associate.  However, those freedoms have been curtailed during the pandemic.  The ability to travel outside your immediate area and the ability to travel internationally has been severely restricted.  Is this appropriate?  Is the evidence available to justify restrictions and when should restrictions be lifted and by what criteria?  Is it right that different nations and governments have different tests?  How will society return to travelling?  Or maybe we should abandon the freedom of travel and help the environment as well as containing the virus?  To consider the issues of Freedom of Movement and lessons from the Pandemic, an expert panel will discuss these and other issues.