Attorney General William Barr said the United States would be wise to make sure measures taken to stem the spread of the coronavirus do not unnecessarily infringe on the civil rights of U.S. citizens.
“I think, you know, when this, when this period of time at the end of April expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have and not just tell people to go home and hide under the bed. But allow them to use other ways, social distancing and other means, to protect themselves,” Barr said Wednesday on Fox News.
“I think we have to be very careful to make sure … that the draconian measures that are being adopted are fully justified and there are not alternative ways of protecting people,” he added.
On March 20, White House extended federal guidelines urging people to practice social distancing and limit travel outside the home to April 30.
Since early March, dozens of states have implemented some form of statewide lockdown, closing bars, restaurants, and other nonessential businesses.
The result has been a severe dip in the U.S. economy, with jobless claims on Thursday jumping to 6.6 million last week.
President Trump has vowed to reopen the U.S. economy “sooner rather than later” but has hedged if people go back to work, they must do so “safely.”
U.S. health experts have said the implementation of social distancing is helping to slow the spread of the virus, though a more robust widespread testing system is needed before society can return to normalcy.
Some conservative pundits and politicians have warned governments have been taking extreme measures to get a hold on the nationwide pandemic.
Barr echoed that sentiment.
“I’m very concerned about the slippery slope in terms of continuing encroachments on personal liberty,” Barr said. “I do think during the emergency, appropriate, reasonable steps are fine.”
