Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Americans Make Unprecedented Civil Liberties Concessions to Battle Coronavirus Masood Farivar WASHINGTON - The growing coronavirus pandemic has forced millions of Americans to make a once-in-a-lifetime tradeoff: temporarily relinquishing numerous individual rights to protect public health. Consider what has happened in just the last two weeks. Churches, synagogues, and mosques have closed their doors to congregants while thousands of small businesses in parts of the country have been forced to shut down. Courts have delayed trials despite the American constitution's guarantee of a speedy trial while families and lawyers are barred from visiting inmates at state and federal jails and prisons. .