The interplay between human rights law and emergency situations is generally understood in terms of negative obligations, that is, duties not to restrict rights in an unnecessary or disproportionate manner when implementing emergency response measures. This contribution argues for the importance of also looking at positive obligations, as duties to take active steps to protect in all phases of the emergency management cycle, from prevention and preparedness to response and recovery. It first outlines the content of positive obligations applicable to emergency situations as identified by the United Nations (UN) human rights Treaty Monitoring Bodies and Charter-based mechanisms and by the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). It also briefly discusses the interaction of requirements under human rights law with obligations enshrined in other branches of international law specifically governing epidemic outbreaks, such as the International Health Regulations (IHR). Public health measures adopted in Europe against the current pandemic outbreak are then assessed through the lenses of positive obligations and major gaps are identified. Some concluding remarks are offered on the role of positive obligations under human rights law to protect against emergency situations.