Welsh copy of Prime Minster Boris Johnson's letter during the first national lockdown

Copy of Prime Minister's letter to the nation on Coronavirus and accompanying leaflet in Welsh, March 2020

Less than a week after the UK entered the first COVID-19 lockdown on 23rd March 2020, the government sent a letter to every household in the country. This letter and accompanying leaflet laid out the COVID-19 restrictions and why it was important for people to follow them. When the letters were sent, then Prime Minster Boris Johnson had himself tested positive for COVID-19 and was self-isolating in 10 Downing Street.

This copy of the letter, sent to a household in Wales, is in Welsh. In Wales, there is a legal requirement that communication in Welsh is available and given equal prominence to communication in English. Communication related to people’s health is also particularly sensitive and so it is important that it is available to people in their preferred language. On the government website the Prime Minister’s letter was also available translated into a wide range of languages including for example, Bengali and Romanian.