Keeping our community safe – Letter from NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS) to eLanka

9 April 2020

Dear Community and Religious Leaders,

The NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service would like to thank you for all your work and support in sharing key health messages and in-language resources on COVID-19 to your communities during this time when the novel coronavirus is having such a significant impact on our lives.

We are coming into a time when there will be days of religious, spiritual and cultural significance that many communities are looking forward to celebrating. This year, we will be remembering the importance of Easter, Ramadan, Passover and other commemorative days in an environment which is unique to all of us as we practice social distancing and do not gather with friends and communities to celebrate with others.

We would like to request that you please continue to deliver these important NSW Government messages to community members.

To help stop the spread of the coronavirus, we ask community members to:

• Call your GP or Health Direct (1800 022 222) if you have COVID-19 symptoms such as a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath
• Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser
• Practice social distancing by staying at least 1.5 metres away from others
• Stay at home, do not invite extended family to your home and do not engage in social or religious gatherings

For the latest information on COVID-19 in multiple languages, we encourage you to visit:

• NSW Health website https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/covid-19-resources.aspx
• NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service https://www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/publications/covid-19-coronavirus

We know that it is a difficult time for everyone as we will not be able to gather together with our friends, family and community to participate in important religious, spiritual and cultural events as we have in the past. However, we can continue to stay connected with our loved ones through the phone, online messaging and social media.

Together as a community, we can stay strong and know that this will pass and that we will be able to celebrate again in the future as we work towards keeping our community safe.

Best wishes