Given the COVID-19 health crisis, the population must remain in their homes without the possibility of going out on the streets, except in specific cases. In this sense, the company Plus Ethics of the Science Park of the University Miguel Hernández (PCUMH) in Elche has drawn up a proposal of minimum ethics for citizens. This code of conduct includes some basic values and commitments to guide the population and call for responsibility.
The Plus Ethics proposal revolves around three areas in which confined citizens can have a responsible influence: safety, the dissemination of information and social protection. Adopting guidelines such as following the official recommendations of the authorities, avoiding creating and spreading false news about the virus or in situations where resources are limited, carrying out collaborative and supportive behaviour are some of the basic commitments included in the code of conduct. Likewise, in its proposal for minimum ethics, Plus Ethics emphasises that it is vitally important to ensure that every decision taken during the period of confinement is made in consideration of the principles of protecting vulnerable groups, promoting justice and cooperation, guaranteeing honesty and transparency of information, as well as minimising harm and maximising benefit. As stressed by the promoters of Plus Ethics, “we, the citizens, must take responsibility for doing everything possible to ensure that our decisions and actions are always for the benefit of society and never to its detriment”.
Increasing the sense of individual responsibility, increasing citizen cohesion, improving reputation as a responsible citizen and reducing antisocial behaviour in order to minimise its impact on future contagion are some of the results that could be achieved by applying the ethical code of conduct proposed by Plus Ethics.