City of Louisville provides information about coronavirus in 22 languages

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Communicating through the coronavirus crisis is critical.

Louisville is a diverse community, and making sure people understand what they should and shouldn’t be doing is important. Metro Government has created resources to reach every corner of the community.

“There are over 130 languages spoken just here in Louisville,” Director of the Office for Globalization Sabeen Nasim said.

Many people tune in to the news, listen to the mayor’s and governor’s updates on the coronavirus, but there are many who don’t understand the information because of a language barrier. Several people are working with the Louisville Metro Office of Globalization, making sure that language isn’t an issue right now. They are creating different ways to reach people during the pandemic.

“While they may understand some English, they may not understand the nuances of healthcare piece,” Nasim said. “The different terminology when you say what is social distancing.”

From Korean, Urdu, Vietnamese, Somali, Hindi, Spanish, French, information about COVID-19 is being translated into 22 languages and dialects through videos posted to social media, the city website, and YouTube. Reading materials are also translated into different languages.

“When I posted this on my Facebook page, I got a lot of response,” said Kulwant Singh, who speaks Hindi and Punjabi.

Getting accurate information out is critical, too.

“It is a global issue,” Singh said.

Click here for information on the videos and materials translated click here.

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