Half of Western Sydney’s population was born outside of Australia, and 54% of households speak a language other than English at home. The diversity of our community is something we celebrate as a region, and we can be proud of the steps that we have taken in the primary care sector to build accessible, culturally appropriate health services. Now, as we face the growing risks presented by COVID-19, to stop the spread, we need to share messages which are accessible to our entire community.
To ensure that people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds understand the current restrictions, we need to remove communication barriers. To support CALD community members stay safe, Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) have created a repository of videos in multiple languages. The message is clear:
“Sydney – we need your help. COVID-19 is in our community. And that means we are all at risk. But there are things we can do to protect each other. Stay at home. Please don’t leave your house – unless it is an emergency, or unless you need essential supplies or medical treatment. It is also ok to go out if you are getting vaccinated against COVID-19, or if you feel unwell and need to get tested. Go to www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 to find out what you need to do to keep yourself, your family and your community safe. We know this is hard. But we also know that it works. COVID-19 is a dangerous virus. But together, we can stop the spread. Please, stay at home.”
Please share the following CALD community resources with your patients and community contacts to help get the message out:
The ABC’s NSW newsroom is also rolling out social media videos featuring Sydney community leaders delivering COVID health warnings in multiple languages. To date, community service videos are available in:
- Assyrian – with Dr Mariam Joseph from NSW Health
- Vietnamese – with Federal President of the Vietnamese Community in Australia Kate Hoang
- Cantonese – with Georges River Councillor Nancy Liu
- Mandarin – with GP Dr Jiang Li
With special thanks to Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) and ABC NSW for producing and sharing these resources.
To stop the spread, we need to spread the word.
This information is correct as of 15 July 2021.