Egypt officials fired after embarrassing typo in COVID-19 flyer

Abu Dhabi: In an age of global exposure and instantaneous connectivity, errors in written communications can have a negative impact on people’s perceptions and create a lasting impression of carelessness.

Typographical mistakes can sabotage a first impression, reduce credibility, compromise brand positioning and diminish reputations.

An official letter urging citizens in Egypt’s Fayoum province, 100km north of Cairo, to wear masks to stem the spread of coronavirus, sparked widespread controversy, as a misprint led to use of the word ‘rubbish’ instead of ‘mask’ repeatedly.

The letter, published by Egyptian media, was prepared by officials of a local unit for distribution to government agencies on the necessity of wearing masks.

It reads, “Under instructions of the Prime Minister, the employees must wear ‘garbage’ at workplace.”

The Fayoum governor discovered the incident through a WhatsApp message sent by a citizen and immediately fired a number of senior officials along with the secretary who prepared the letter.