Czech Health Ministry to refute disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic next year

The Czech Health Ministry recently announced it is planning to regularly inform the public about the most frequent forms of disinformation being disseminated about the novel coronavirus pandemic. Czech Health Minister Jan Blatný (for ANO) announced the new move at a press conference held after an extraordinary cabinet sessoin.
A comprehensive communications campaign explaining the Government's measures to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading will not begin until 2021 because the tender process will not be done before year-end. The Government approved CZK 50 million [EUR 1.9 million] at the close of October for the campaign.
"From Monday [30 November] our press department will begin using our website, in the interim, to correct the most frequent disinformation. During our Friday press conferences we will choose the most essential disinformation and comment on it," the minister said.
Everything is proceeding more slowly around the comprehensive campaign than is desirable, according to the minister. However, he said it is necessary to follow lawful procedures.
After the Government's decision at the end of October, according to the minister, a tender was issued for a law office to draft the tender for the campaign supplier. "Currently the tender for the campaign itself is being issued. We cannot count on a result before 1 January, which is why we are also launching an interim campaign," the minister said.
The communications campaign should touch on across-the-board testing, face mask requirements, the eRouška smart quarantine application, combating disinformation, calls for volunteers, or calls to donate blood and plasma. The messaging should also concentrate on youth, social distancing, contact tracing, hygiene, lifestyle, and boosting immunity.
Don't miss:
- In the V-4, COVID-19 pandemic exploited for ultra-right hoaxes, calls for authoritarianism
- Despite COVID-19 state of emergency, landlord summarily evicts five Romani families in Czech town
- Romani community in third-largest Czech city donates truckload of vitamins to hospital in gratitude for their work during COVID-19
- Petra Gelbart: Czech media invite the wrong experts to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic
- Romani junior weightlifter wins three gold medals for the Czech Republic in youth championship held online because of COVID-19
- Czech collections agents threatening to confiscate laptops from families whose children need them for distance learning during COVID-19
- Czech celebrations of 17 November will mostly be online, ultra-right plans to protest COVID-19 measures in the streets
- Czechs to protest COVID-19 measures on national holiday tomorrow - including neo-Nazis reviving antisemitic tropes
- Leading Romani activist and co-founder of Dikh TV, the musician Lajos "Paci" Balogh, has succumbed to COVID-19 at the age of 28
- Romani celebrities in Czech Republic with COVID-19 use social media to warn others, but will they be believed?
- Czech and Slovak-language disinformation about COVID-19: Lies about testing, facemasks and Bill Gates
- Coalition of Romani representatives in Czech region of Liberec appeal to Romani community to follow COVID-19 pandemic regulations
- Romani blogger known in the Czech Republic and Slovakia dies of COVID-19, posted video warning just this morning
- Young Roma in the Czech Republic call on community to protect themselves from COVID-19 and not believe everything they read online
Related articles:
- Popular Romani singer Bertík Girga posts emotional video from Czech hospital telling people COVID-19 is real
- Romani organizations write to Czech Industry and Trade Minister: Roma must be part of the National Plan for Renewal
- Petr Mati, social pedagogue, tells Czech Health Minister his communication style about COVID-19 is demotivating
- ROMEA TV interviews Czech doctor about vaccines against COVID-19 - how are they made and how do they work?
- Romani experts say Czech Government should supply for free the respirators it has made compulsory
- Jan Dužda: Vaccination is the most effective weapon against COVID-19, Czech authorities need to campaign about its effects and importance
- Czech nonprofits find schools not in touch with one-fifth of disadvantaged parents surveyed
- Karel Karika: COVID-19 making life drastically worse in the socially excluded localities of the Czech Republic
- Vaccinations against COVID-19 - how is the Romani community in the Czech Republic responding?
- Romani doctor in Czech Republic will get vaccinated and is disturbed by COVID-19 disinformation
- Czech MP publishes collage comparing vaccinations against COVID-19 to the Holocaust and using imagery of the gate at Auschwitz
- COMMENTARY: Romale, Bill Gates does not want to track you, vaccinations against COVID-19 will not kill you and do not involve microchips
Tags:
COVID-19, Dezinformační web, Hoax, manipulaceHEADLINE NEWS
