Barack Obama On COVID-19 US Response: 'Biggest Mistake' Is To Misinform

Former President Barack Obama imparted some advice to a group of mayors on Thursday and said that the "biggest mistake" in responding to the coronavirus pandemic would be "to misinform" the public.

During a virtual meeting with over 300 participants around the world, Obama encouraged the mayors and other leaders to "speak the truth."

"Speak it clearly. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy for what folks are going through," the former president said. "The biggest mistake any [of] us can make in these situations is to misinform, particularly when we’re requiring people to make sacrifices and take actions that might not be their natural inclination."

Obama also suggested that leaders should have a team of experts to help address problems that may arise during a pandemic. He said that leaders need many smart people around them in this global crisis, and they must not be embarrassed to ask questions because this will help them plan better responses.

The former U.S. President also touched on racial disparities during the talk amid new statistics that show African-Americans and Latino communities are more vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic.

"When you start looking at issues of domestic abuse and you start looking at racial disparities that are popping up in your cities, paying attention to that is the kind of leadership I know all of you aspire to," he said. "You have to be intentional about it, and dedicate folks to thinking about those issues."

The former president has been vocal about how coronavirus is affecting millions, and he continually advocates for public health on social media.

On Wednesday, Obama tweeted that existing measures to fight coronavirus must shift to testing and monitoring even as social distancing is working to slow down its spread.

The virtual meeting was facilitated by Bloomberg Philanthropies after previous meetings with resource speakers like former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.