U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said on Thursday that the coronavirus has caused “previously unimaginable” restrictions on liberty.
Alito gave remarks over a video link for the Federalist Society’s annual meeting, according to Reuters. The conservative justice said he was not trying to downplay the crisis or criticize officials for responding to it.
“We have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020,” Alito said. “The COVID crisis has served as sort of a constitutional stress test.”
The U.S. is seeing a new uptick in cases, and experts have warned that cases will rise in the colder months as people are now spending more time indoors. New spikes in cases across the country have forced states to reimpose stricter lockdowns on businesses and quarantine requirements on travelers.
Alito specifically pointed out the impact of the restrictions on religious events, according to Reuters, such as Easter Sunday and Yom Kippur.
“It pains me to say this,” he added, “but in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right.”
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