As coronavirus continues to spread, keeping track of the government’s ever-changing restrictions is becoming increasingly difficult. To remedy the spread of misinformation, the government has launched a Coronavirus Australia app and WhatsApp messaging service.
Hear about how people have staying connected during isolation below:
Here’s everything you need to know about the app and more:
The Coronavirus Australia app is available from the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
According to the app’s official page, it will help Australians stay up-to-date on official information and important health advice, provide a symptom checker and snapshot of the current official status of coronavirus within Australia, allow people to find relevant contact information, access updated information from the government and receive push notifications of urgent info and updates.
Speaking about the app on Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the app “will assist you to get the accurate and timely information about what is being done by governments around the country to support you, as you and your family and your household and your community work through the difficult months ahead because of coronavirus.”
As for the government’s new Coronavirus Australia WhatsApp service, it can be accessed by typing oz.gov.au/whatsapp into your web browser.
Essentially, it acts as a messenger bot to provide people with updates when they type in a number or emoji. When prompted, the bot can respond with latest news, numbers, a symptom checker, information on how to protect yourself and others, support for people, families and businesses, travel advice and more.
To access the service on your phone, you need to download WhatsApp to your phone, add the number +61 400 253 787 into your WhatsApp contacts and send it a message. Shortly after, you will receive a response and can follow the instructions to receive more information.
We’re in uncharted waters right now, and while these apps and messaging services might not be perfect, they’re another way people can easily access accurate and up-to-date information regarding COVID-19. Plus, it beats staring at the news all day for updates.
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