In this article, a chief health officer argues that communication about COVID-19 must be immediate and transparent.

Similar to other countries, Australia’s government was slow to inform people about the severity of COVID-19 in a timely manner. However, Brett Sutton, chief health officer of Victoria, was quick to warn others of the impending pandemic and encouraged government officials to communicate quickly and honestly. He notes that communication is a critical health intervention, and that it is now time to move from risk communication to crisis communication, which includes being clear and responsible with communicating the good, the bad, and the ugly to increase people’s efficacy and support efforts.