Plain speaking during a crisis

Earlier this week we sighted a letter from NSW Chief Medical Officer Kerry Chant declaring that Frederic House, a facility for older men with reduced income and complex medical issues in Waterloo, Sydney, “should be closed” due to a high risk of transmission of Covid-19 between residents.
Citing Public Health (Covid-19 Self-Isolation) Order {No 3}, the advisory said that least one resident in 18 of those dwellings had received a positive diagnosis of Covid-19, and was therefore subject to clause 6 of the Order.
It added that at least one resident in 30 of those homes was a close contact and therefore subject to clause 7 of the Order.
So what does this mean?  Has this St Vinnie’s facility been closed down or locked down?
Clauses 6 and 7 of the PHO allow for both scenarios – under the “high-risk” dwellings provisions, the authorities can either remove residents from a block and order them to go somewhere they will be safe, or require people to self-isolate where they live.
Again, which is it?  In fact, it seems it is a lockdown rather than a clear-out.
Okay, we understand the need for legalistic language in official documents that establish laws and regulations.
But when it comes to informing the public, the government really needs to use simple terms that we can all understand, especially at a time when misinformation – deliberate or otherwise – is literally costing lives.
NSW Health and especially its media department needs to stick to the KISS principle – Keep It Simple, Stupid!

This originally went out with the Flat Chat Newsletter.