United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the coronavirus pandemic is a human crisis that is fast becoming a human rights crisis, according to AP.

In a video message, the UN chief said that there is discrimination in the delivery of public services to tackle Covid-19 and there are structural inequalities that impede access to them.

Guterres said the pandemic has also seen disproportionate effects on certain communities, the rise of hate speech, the targeting of vulnerable groups, and the risks of heavy handed security responses undermining the health response.