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Every single day the health ministry spokesperson creates confusion.
Says one thing in the press conference – watched by millions on TV – then issues a correction.
This is what happened today. #thread https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1248952452340203521
Says one thing in the press conference – watched by millions on TV – then issues a correction.
This is what happened today. #thread https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1248952452340203521
Just yesterday he denied the projection of 8 lakh deaths in India by April 15 without lockdown.
Today, he said the number was 2 lakh.
An hour later, he issued a correction: it is indeed 8 lakh, he says. https://mobile.twitter.com/arvindgunasekar/status/1248566365159657472?s=20
Today, he said the number was 2 lakh.
An hour later, he issued a correction: it is indeed 8 lakh, he says. https://mobile.twitter.com/arvindgunasekar/status/1248566365159657472?s=20
He goofed up yesterday on how many of the tested samples were positive: 0.2%, he repeated several times in the press conference. Then "clarified" that it was 2%. https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1248572061577924609
The clarification was missed by many journalists, including @ShekharGupta https://twitter.com/AlertCitizenry/status/1248818110339088385
The government forgot to delete its own tweets, continuing to spread misinformation. https://twitter.com/COVIDNewsByMIB/status/1248591754846023680
The misinformation even made its way into newspaper reports:
"The Union Health Ministry on Friday said infection rate from coronavirus is not huge..." reported India's largest selling English newspaper.
"The Union Health Ministry on Friday said infection rate from coronavirus is not huge..." reported India's largest selling English newspaper.
Four days ago, another round of confusion resulted from Lav Agarwal seamlessly going from talking about "a study" to "ICMR study", again producing factually incorrect reports. (We amended the story after he clarified...) https://scroll.in/latest/958563/covid-19-without-lockdown-one-patient-could-infect-406-in-30-days-says-icmr-study
Mistakes happen, of course. I made a glaring one in this thread – 8 lakh cases, not 8 lakh deaths, I meant.
But then I am not the government spokesperson whose every word is being followed by millions of Indians.
Can such sloppiness end, please?
But then I am not the government spokesperson whose every word is being followed by millions of Indians.
Can such sloppiness end, please?
