Impact on daily life: EU Member States’ measures to address the outbreak The measures taken to manage the public health crisis and prevent health systems being overwhelmed have put equal treatment in – and equal access to – healthcare, including preventive healthcare, at risk. The right to life (Article 2), the right to health (Article 35) in combination with the prohibition of discrimination (Article 21) call for preventive healthcare and medical treatment to be available to all. — Information provided to FRA indicate that in some Member States limited intensive care resources to treat COVID-19 patients risked leading to a de-prioritisation of older patients affected by the virus. Prioritising treatment of patients with COVID-19 may also affect patients with other critical conditions, such as cancer. — Reports emerged of COVID-19 related deaths of older people in nursing homes not being reported to the authorities. There are also reports of insufficient preventive measures in these settings where people are at increased risk of infection due to close proximity to others and at increased risk of adverse outcomes due to older age. — On the prevention side, evidence collected by FRA shows that vulnerable groups, including people living in institutional settings, people with disabilities, homeless people, Roma and migrants, can be at increased risk of infection. This reflects their limited access to information on protection measures, their housing conditions and socio-economic disadvantages. All EU Member States introduced physical and social distancing measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, including forms of quarantine. Such measures can affect many fundamental rights, including the rights to liberty and security (Article 6), respect for private and family life (Article 7), freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 10), freedom of expression and information keep together on one line, freedom of assembly and of association (Article 12), freedom of the arts and sciences (Article 13), and freedom of movement and of residence (Article 45). They can also affect the rights of specific groups including children, older persons and persons with disabilities.  ost Member States have instituted mandatory social distancing measures for the —M entire population, such as suspension of mass gatherings, stay-at-home requirements - including quarantine measures, closure of non-essential businesses and public spaces, and physical distancing when outside the house.  ome have placed whole provinces, regions or cities under quarantine, or prohibited —S all movement in the public sphere without a permit. — Most Member States have introduced sanctions for those not complying with the newly introduced measures. These typically take the form of fines, but in some cases include the possibility for custodial sentences. Schools were largely closed down in EU Member States. The impact of switching from regular to home schooling depends on a variety of factors, including the socio-economic background of children’s families. According to the ‘best interests of the child’ principle enshrined in Article 24 of the Charter and the right to education (Article 14), every child has the right to education, which shall be provided without discrimination (Article 21). — Almost all governments across the EU closed down education facilities in February and March 2020 to limit the spread of COVID-19. In some Member States, however, selected schools have remained open for the children of essential workers or for those with no other available childcare. 8