A 'Coronavirus Information Service' is now accessible for everyone in Qatar via WhatsApp.

The Government Communications Office (GCO) launched this new service, which is free-to-use for all. It provides a central source of accurate, trustworthy and up-to-date information about Coronavirus  (Covid-19) disease.

If you have any questions related to Covid-19, this automated “chatbot” will give you experts' advice from the Ministry of Public Health and the GCO.

To use the free Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp, send a WhatsApp message in any language to +974 6006 0601. The conversation can also be started via this link.

You can use the service 24 hours a day. It can communicate in six languages: Arabic, English, Urdu, Hindi, Nepali, and Malayalam.

The service will provide information on topics such as Coronavirus prevention and symptoms, the latest number of cases, advice on staying at home, travel advice and mythbusting.

.@GCOQatar launches a new Coronavirus Information Service now available on WhatsApp. The free service is available in 6 languages and includes the latest statistics & health advice: https://t.co/IW2E1F6iio

To use the free WhatsApp service, follow: https://t.co/2MgWrHRPS7 pic.twitter.com/Xtv5vXLOBF

— مكتب الاتصال الحكومي (@GCOQatar) April 6, 2020

According to Sheikh Thamer bin Hamad Al-Thani, Deputy Director of the Government Communications Office for Media Affairs:

“Maintaining the safety of citizens and residents in Qatar is our top priority. To ensure that the public is kept informed during the crisis, we have developed a user-friendly service to give people instant access the most current information on the virus. This includes the latest statistics from the Ministry of Public Health and vital information about how people can protect themselves and others. Our aim is to raise public awareness in our community.” 

Matt Idema, WhatsApp’s Chief Operating Officer, added:

“At difficult times like these, people use WhatsApp more than ever to connect with and support their friends, family and communities. We are pleased to be able to provide the State of Qatar with the communications tools to help them respond to citizens’ questions about the virus with reliable, timely health advice, in order to keep people safe.”

The service has been built on the WhatsApp Business API over Infobip’s global communication platform to provide timely and critical information to the community regarding the virus.

The chatbot can also direct you to online resources if you have more advanced queries about Covid-19.