Coronavirus CDC Guidelines Are Unavailable in Spanish

The latest guidelines from the White House on slowing the spread of coronavirus are currently not available in Spanish despite repeated claims from Latino groups to add a translation. Latino Rebels reporter  Julio Ricardo Varela first reported the lack of a translation and later shared an update from the White House with a preliminary translation sent out to the media but still not available online.

So this is what they shared with journalists. It's not even designed yet. This is first part pic.twitter.com/oPjw4HUwaf

— Julio Ricardo Varela (@julito77) March 18, 2020

With the Latinx community making up  18.1 percent of the nation’s total population with nearly 60 million people of which 37 million speak Spanish at home it’s vital that such important information be made available to the Spanish-speaking public.

“Knowing there are … Latinos who are Spanish dominant, they have the right to expect the same information to protect their families, and doing so will help all of us bring this to a close faster. … Without this information we are doing a great disservice,” Darryl Morin, president of the advocacy group Forward Latino, told NBC News.

The CDC does operate a Spanish Twitter account that has been sharing advice and tips and the CDC website has a separate section dedicated to information on Covid-19 in Spanish. However, the lack of a translation for the latest guidelines for slowing the spread means millions could potentially not be getting updated and necessary information.

Lavarse las manos es fácil y ayuda a mantenerlo sano. https://t.co/JVNirwFO1F pic.twitter.com/hBMrmU2c3J

— CDC en Español (@CDCespanol) March 17, 2020

The latest guidelines state that social gatherings of 10 people or more should be avoided, dissecting frequently used items and surfaces, and coughing into the inside of the elbow. Since those most at risk are the elderly and ill, making these guidelines available on the website itself means they have a greater chance of seeing it as a majority of the elderly are not likely to be on social media and the CDC website is considered the most reliable source.

“In the face of inaction & lack of leadership from the Trump Administration, we all need to step up. Our communities deserve in-language, life-saving information during this critical time. We are proud to do our part and will continue to do so,” President and CEO of UnidosUS Janet Murguía tweeted.

UnidosUS is  the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the country and its website has an entire section in Spanish dedicated to information and CDC guidelines about the coronavirus.  UnidosUS is one of the Latinx groups advocating for Spanish guidelines and the push for this is even more understandable considering the Trump administration said in early 2017 that a Spanish-language version of the White House’s official page would go live eventually and yet the page still doesn’t exist.