Government communications has to massively improve if we are to beat this crisis - Mark Casci

The point the character is making is that being upfront and clear with the public is key for any organisation, large or small.

However, my faith in this quote has been shaken in the last 24 hours. The Prime Minister first began to spell out what the road map out of lockdown would look like this weekend.

And it could not have been more of a classic example of doing the right thing, in totally the wrong way.

After more than a week of contradictory briefings to the national media, many of which have given people false hope, we have had a situation wherein we have had far too much information – the majority of which has seemingly proven false.

Boris Johnson knows he has to walk an extremely thin tightrope.

He has to slow the rate of infection enough so that we can move to a second phase of combatting the pandemic, as we are seeing in other nations.

However, he knows that the suspension of capitalism that we are currently seeing in Britain can only be short-lived if there is to be anything left once we emerge from the other side of Covid-19.

His message that people should return to work if they feel they can do so safely has been unfairly derided by many quarters.

The reality is that many sectors, be it manufacturing, food production, certain areas of retail and construction have already begun doing this, or were planning to anyway.

The guidance on social distancing is being adhered to effectively by the majority of employers. Of course it will have knock-on implications for productivity and output but I have little doubt that managers will find new and increasingly effective means of improving these.

However, to tell millions of people to return to work with the most vague and contradictory of guidance was unforgiveable.

Instead of making the announcement before Parliament where it could be scrutinised, and publishing its 50-page dossier so that it could be questioned by the Press, a broad overview that lacked any salient detail was issued via a public address from the Prime Minister.

This has resulted in widespread confusion. Workers were unclear as to whether they should have reported for work on Monday morning.

No guidance was issued until well into the next day over the use of face masks. And many sectors of our economy, await urgent guidance as to what regulations they should be enforcing in their workplace – most notably that of the hospitality industry which is expected to lose as much as 40 per cent of its GVA in Yorkshire alone during 2020.

No sane person believes the country can be shut down indefinitely.

The economy has to reopen and livelihoods cannot be funded by the state for months on end but this has to be done in a way that protects public health.

Key to this is precise and clear guidance for the country.

The scenes on the London Underground on Monday morning suggests that the messaging is not getting across, with packed platforms and many commuters not wearing face masks.

And while not all the blame lies with Government for this a more prudent communications strategy could have prevented it.

The cracks between Westminster and the devolved governments of the Home Nations are equally regrettable.

We know have the ridiculous situation where a resident in the border region cannot drive between Scotland and England for a walk yet somebody from France can arrive in the UK and face no restrictions.

The next few weeks are going to be among the most important the nation has faced for decades.

We have to get this right. The margin for error is miniscule. This has to be a success or the consequences are deadly.