Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on Saturday shared video messages in Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali and Hindi to provide guidance as part of efforts to tackle the disproportionate impact of the virus on South Asian communities.

The Pakistani-origin official, whose family moved to the UK from Pakistan in the late ‘60s, said he is encouraging all communities to stay safe.

“London’s South Asian communities have made extraordinary sacrifices at home and on the frontline to stop the spread of coronavirus. But the virus is affecting them disproportionately,” he tweeted.

In a press release, the mayor’s office noted that South Asian Londoners are more likely to be employed as key workers in frontline health and service industry roles. It also referenced a study published in June this year, which revealed that in hospital settings, people from South Asian backgrounds are 20 per cent more likely than white people to die from Covid-19.

The statement also acknowledged that lockdown restrictions in the United Kingdom have meant major cultural and religious events including Ramazan, Eid, Vaisakhi and independence day were not celebrated with communal gatherings.

In his message, Mr Khan highlighted the importance of the use of face coverings, observing social distancing and regular handwashing.

The UK recorded close to 2,000 new Covid-19 cases – the highest daily total since May – on Friday. Eight more people who tested positive for coronavirus died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,604, NHS England said on Saturday.

Experts have warned that the UK is fast approaching a pivotal moment and with another surge in the number of positive cases, and urged people to keep following the rules or risk the return of widespread lockdown across the UK.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2020