Coronavirus latest news and advice is being translated into over 10 different languages to ensure vital messages reach everyone during Leicester’s lockdown. A local lockdown in Leicester was announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on the 29th of June after a spike in cases. The City Council and a charity called the Al-Khair Foundation have put together leaflets and audio messages in more than 10 languages including Gujarati, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali and more. This comes as a result of some citizens having difficulty understanding Government guidelines as English is not their first language. “As we travelled around the city we realised some people were struggling to understand the situation as they didn’t speak English or it’s not their first language,” said Aamir Abassi, of the foundation. “We started translating NHS posters and government leaflets and delivering them with food whilst explaining the importance of the information. “But now it’s clear we need to do more. Getting the message across to people of different languages is a key concern.” The president of the Oadby and Wigston Hindu Community group, Vinod Ghadiali, is recording bulletins in Gujarati for BBC Radio Leicester – a language spoken by 11.5% of the city’s population. “Many people are not even aware of the lockdown and it is probably because of the language barrier,” he said. “This is a very extraordinary situation and we all need to do what we can to share information.” Information needs to be accessible to everyone despite their native language and this news highlights the importance of translation, especially during times of uncertainty and crisis. We hope everyone in Leicester remains safe during this difficult time. Source: BBC News.
