Egypt's disdain for transparency will backfire in this coronavirus crisis | Timothy Kaldas
President Sisi may have nothing to hide, but his crackdown on anyone who challenges the official line only fuels speculation
During a public health crisis, a government's credibility is a vital asset. To slow the spread of a virus, the government must convincingly inform and instruct the public. And to do this, it must inspire trust - trust that it is following the science, acting out of the interests of the population, and enforcing measures that will help to keep the public safe. Trust depends on transparency. If governments appear to be concealing the truth, or withholding information, their credibility can quickly crumble.
The Egyptian government has long seen transparency as a weakness, and guarded information as though it were a national security threat. Much like Donald Trump's White House, Egypt's leaders have responded to reports about the estimated number of coronavirus infections as though they were a personal attack, rather than a health crisis the entire world is struggling to contain.
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