Russians in Moldova are poorly informed about coronavirus
The Moldavian public association “Positive Initiative” is concerned that informational SMS, panels and posters, audio and video materials about the prevention of COVID-19 are presented only in Romanian, which limits the access of Russian speakers to important public information.
The organization wrote about this on its Facebook page, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“To ensure that the entire population understands the risks we face, including during a pandemic, government authorities must communicate with people in the languages that people use on the territory of Moldova. Otherwise, as a result of a selective approach, less informed groups are created in society. This jeopardizes the health and lives of both people from these groups and the entire population as a whole,” the message says.
Social activists called on the authorities to issue bilingual press releases, messages, leaflets, posters and information panels; produce audio and video materials in at least Romanian and Russian languages.
“The crisis situation we find ourselves in as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it very clear that a selective approach to informing the public is not conducive to protecting public health. On the contrary, such an approach increases the risks of undermining it, and this is what we must avoid with all our might, at all levels, in relation to all diseases and viruses,” wrote the Positive Initiative.
International organizations provided Moldova with texts about coronavirus in Russian. Now volunteers are distributing them to the media. The Moldovan Ministry of Health claims that it sent all materials in Russian to Transnistria.
Russians in Moldova are poorly informed about the coronavirus.