See below some information relevant to interpreters/translators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ICBC note from 26 March 2020
Here is an email notice we received from the ICBC office on 26 March 2020:
“Business is not as usual at the driver licensing offices. The updates on which business areas are affected can be found on icbc.com. Currently the driver licensing offices are open but with limited hours in some locations, and limited transactions be allowed. Customers are being asked to only attend for urgent transactions. Limited customers are being allowed into the office at one time and if they have recently traveled or come into contact with anyone who has been sick are not being permitted into the offices.
Currently all knowledge tests for class 5 and 7 licensing have stopped unless a customer has been in BC for longer than 90 days and is by law required to switch their out of province or country licence over to a BC licence.
Customers will need to go into the office to have their document or licence photocopied and stamped as an approved copy to be able to send that copy to the translator. These stamped copies can be scanned and emailed to the translator. The translator will need to send the original MV2943 back to the customer by mail.”
For all updates, please go to icbc.com on the current business practices. These are changing daily.
New Translation Bureau glossary on the COVID-19 pandemic
To support the federal government in its communications surrounding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Translation Bureau has developed a standardized bilingual glossary based on the scanning of scientific articles and newspapers as well as Canadian government and World Health Organization documents. The Glossary on the COVID-19 pandemic clarifies basic concepts in both official languages and will promote clear communications with the general public.
The Glossary is available on-line, and its terminology has also been added to TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank. The Translation Bureau will be monitoring the media and updating the Glossary as the terminology evolves.
You are invited you to consult and use this new glossary. If you have any questions, please write to [email protected]
Translators on list of essential services during COVID-19 pandemic – BC Government
As per the government website, translation services are part of the non-health essential service providers.
Please check out the government website for more information.