Singapore, for example, sends out daily briefings on coronavirus updates -- how many new cases are confirmed, how many patients have been discharged from hospital, and whether new clusters are appearing.
And in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, government agencies have launched aggressive public information campaigns on what is being done and what citizens can do, distributing this information on citywide posters, television ads, and more.
In Japan, regular flu cases have dropped dramatically -- reportedly because of this rise in public education and health awareness, according to local media.
A lack of reliable information can also give rise to baseless rumors. In Singapore, a false claim that a foreign domestic worker had died took hold. The government quickly released a statement clarifying that was false; nobody has died of coronavirus in Singapore thus far.
Related articles: Coronavirus disinformation creates challenges for China's government | Transparency helps reduce hysteria, and gives other countries and international experts important information in understanding the spread of the virus. Crucially, government willingness to share hard truths -- with both the public and internally within government -- can help avoid fatal missteps, such as those made in China during the early weeks of the outbreak. |
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