Sign language interpreter Irma Sluis from The Hague went viral after signing at yesterday’s corona press conference. Her sign for the Dutch word “hamsteren” (roughly translated as hoarding) in particular was very well-received.

Yesterday was the first time the Dutch government used sign language interpreters at a cabinet press conference. Previous conferences were subtitled, but for many hearing-impaired people, Dutch is their second language, as Dutch sign language is a completely different language with different grammar and words.

Irma Sluis told AD: “Honestly? I didn’t even know whether the word had a sign”. She had to ask the Dutch Sign Language Centre (Nederlands Gebarencentrum) via FaceTime.

Haha!! Niet hamsteren!
Via @Darch en @apjvalk pic.twitter.com/T3CinDVmrv

— Erik Mouthaan (@erikmouthaanRTL) March 15, 2020