Iranian TV Host Delavari Criticizes Government's Coronavirus Response: The Delivering of Information to the Public Is Catastrophic

In a February 24, 2020 broadcast on Channel 5 (Iran), Iranian TV host Mohammad Delavari addressed Iran's Health Minister and said that the Health Ministry is doing a very poor job of communicating information to the public about the coronavirus outbreak in Iran. He said that there are plenty of rumors, but the Health Ministry has not provided the Iranian people with correct, well-informed, and consistent information. He gave the example that the representative from Qom in the Iranian Majles said that 50 people in Qom have died from the virus so far, but that government reports say something very different. Delavari extended an invitation to the Health Ministry's spokesman to come to his show every other day and provide viewers with information. He added that the confusion and atmosphere surrounding the coronavirus outbreak are more dangerous than the outbreak itself.

Mohammed Delavari: "Dear Mr. Health Minister, information about the coronavirus is being communicated to the public very poorly. I'm not getting into whether the measures taken are correct or not, but the delivering of information to the public is catastrophic. Everywhere you look, there are strange and bizarre reports, yet there are very few correct, well-informed, and consistent answers by the Health Ministry. The situation does not favor the delivering of any reasonable documented information. Please pay attention to this. I ask [Health Ministry spokesman] Jahanpour to come to our show every other day, and provide reasonable information, even if just for 10 minutes. Qom's representative [in the Majles] reported that 50 people have died there, and the official figures say something different. The confusion caused to the public and the atmosphere that is being created are extremely worrying and are more dangerous that the coronavirus itself."