March 23, 2020

Coronavirus: Govt launches MyGov Corona Helpdesk

In a bid to make citizens aware of the coronavirus pandemic, the Centre has launched an official chatbot on WhatsApp. Called MyGov Corona Helpdesk, the WhatsApp chatbot can be used to resolve any queries related to Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19.

How to use MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot?
The MyGov Corona Helpdesk can be used by all WhatsApp users for free. 
Users just need to save the number — 9013151515 — in their contacts list and send a message to get a response.
Apart from the MyGov WhatsApp Chatbot, the government has also set up two helpline numbers — +91-11-23978046 and 1075 (toll-free) — and email id (ncov2019@gov.in) to resolve the queries of Indian citizens. A list of helpline numbers for all states and union territories in India has also been released.
This is a good move at a time when misinformation and fake news are rampant on Whats App, including about possible treatments for the Corona virus and even preventive measures that could save you from the Corona virus infection, all of which are absolutely incorrect. The National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) said in a tweet, “The Government has created Whats App Chat bot on Corona. It is called My-gov Corona Help desk. Just save on Whats App 9013151515 and you will get automated response on queries related to Corona.”
Other than Whats App, Google has also initiated the ‘Do the Five. Help stop Corona virus’ campaign on its Search home page that lists out the five things people should follow to prevent corona virus. These include washing their hands, coughing into their elbow, not touching their face, maintaining a safe distance and staying at home if they are sick.
The Ministry of Health has also created a webpage that gives important information on corona virus and related data in real-time: 

List of helpline numbers of states and union territories in India

The central helpline number for COVID-19 queries in India is +91-11-23978046. Anyone can dial the helpline number for queries and clarifications regarding the corona virus pandemic. They can also send an email to ‘ncov2019@gov.in’ for getting details.
Below is the list of corona virus helpline numbers for all Indian states and Union Territories.
Name of the StateHelpline number
Andhra Pradesh8662410978
Arunachal Pradesh9436055743
Assam6913347770
Bihar104
Chhattisgarh077122-35091
Goa104
Gujarat104
Haryana8558893911
Himachal Pradesh104
Jharkhand104
Karnataka104
Kerala0471-2552056
Madhya Pradesh0755-2527177
Maharashtra020-26127394
Manipur3852411668
Meghalaya108
Mizoram102
Nagaland7005539653
Odisha9439994859
Punjab104
Rajasthan0141-2225624
Sikkim104
Tamil Nadu044-29510500
Telangana104
Tripura0381-2315879
Uttarakhand104
Uttar Pradesh18001805145
West Bengal3323412600
Name of the Union TerritoryHelpline Number
Andaman and Nicobar Islands03192-232102
Chandigarh9779558282
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu104
Delhi011-22307154
Jammu1912520982
Kashmir1942440283
Ladakh1982256462
Lakshadweep104
Puducherry104