the context of respecting the right to privacy defined in Article 47 of the Constitution. However, the issue of video monitoring in private care facilities has not yet been regulated at the statutory level. • LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN THE TIME OF THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC The state of epidemic announced on the territory of the Republic of Poland by way of the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 20 March 2020314 forced significant changes in the operation of all places of detention, and resulted in restrictions on the rights of residents of social care homes, 24hour care facilities and patients of long-term care and treatment facilities. Because of the already mentioned suspension of on-site visits, the NMPT analysed the situation in those institutions primarily based on information obtained from representatives of the government, heads of regional governments, representatives of local governments and managers of individual facilities where infection cases occurred. Already in mid-March 2020, when the first cases of the disease appeared in Poland, the Commissioner for Human Rights wrote to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy315 requesting information on the state of preparations of social care homes and longterm care and treatment facilities for the risk of the spread of coronavirus. At the end of March 2020, the Commissioner for Human Rights requested the Prime Minister for information on ensuring safety and respecting the rights of persons deprived of liberty during the coronavirus epidemic316. Responses were received by several ministries but the Ministry of Health did not refer in any way to the situation in long-term care and treatment institutions317. Based on the collected data, a detailed picture of the functioning of long-term care facilities during the pandemic can be presented. Social care homes Epidemiological situation The first media reports on coronavirus infections in a social care home, which were analysed by the NMPT, concerned the situation in the SCH in Jakubowice. The NMPT sent a letter to the relevant poviat (i.e. county) government on 31 March 2020 inquiring about the situation. By the end of 2020, the 314 Regulation of the Minister of Health of 20 March 2020 declaring the state of epidemic in the territory of the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 491). 315 Letter of 12 March 2020, ref.no. KMP.071.4.2020. 316 Detailed information can be found in point III of this chapter: "General intervention letters". 317 Letter of 14 April 2020, ref.no. ZPP.743.74.2020.MS. 124