The UK Government has today launched a GOV.UK Coronavirus
Information service on WhatsApp.
The new free to use service aims to provide official,
trustworthy and timely information and advice about coronavirus
(COVID-19), and will further reduce the burden on NHS
services.
This will help combat the spread of
coronavirus misinformation in the UK, as well as helping ensure
people stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.
The GOV.UK Coronavirus
Information Service is an automated ‘chatbot’ service which will
allow the British public to get answers to the
most common questions about
coronavirus direct from government.
The service will provide information on topics such as
coronavirus prevention and symptoms, the latest number of cases
in the UK, advice on staying at home, travel advice and myth
busting.
The service will also allow the government to send messages
to all opted-in users if required.
To use the free GOV.UK Coronavirus
Information Service on WhatsApp, simply
add 07860 064422 in your phone contacts and
then message the word ‘hi’ in a WhatsApp
message to get started.
A set of menu options is then presented which the user can
choose from and then be sent relevant guidance fromGOV.UK pages as well as
links to GOV.UK for further
information.
Prof Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director, Public Health
England, said:
“This service will help us ensure the public has a trusted
source for the right information about coronavirus, updated
with the latest public health guidance and providing assurance
that they are not misled by any of the false information
circulating.”
Matt Idema, Chief Operating Officer, WhatsApp,
said: “At difficult times like these, people are
using WhatsApp more than ever to connect with and support their
friends, family and communities. We are pleased to be able to
provide the UK Government with the communications tools to help
them answer the public’s questions about the virus with reliable,
timely health advice, in order to keep people
safe.”
Other recent
Government communications:
● Earlier
this week the government texted people across the UK to inform
them of the new rules announced by the Prime Minister on 23 March
2020. Details here - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-sms-messages
● The
Government has also sent text messages to the vulnerable as part
of the shielding package announced by the Prime Minister on 22
March 2020. Details here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
