Instant COVID-19 Updates
Distributing instantaneous COVID-19 updates in times of uncertainty
Products Involved:
When COVID-19 first hit Singapore, there was a significant amount of false information spreading around the country, creating anxiety and uncertainty among citizens. As a result, government agencies had to look for a way to disseminate accurate and up-to-date information to citizens via channels they could easily access.
In 3 days, we built a mass communication tool, Postman, which enabled the government to send nationwide COVID-19 updates through the Gov.sg WhatsApp channel. Now a modular omni-channel communication tool, Postman has enabled agencies to quickly scale their communication needs and allowed them to distribute critical information across multiple channels such as email, SMS, and Telegram.
In addition, Isomer was used to build website pages for COVID-19 campaigns such as sgunited.gov.sg and safetravel.ica.gov.sg. Instead of having to wait months as is typical for government procurement, Isomer allowed government agencies to build these websites in as little as 1.5 days, ensuring that citizens receive the latest information about the constantly evolving COVID-19 situation.
Lastly, Go.gov.sg has been used by government agencies to shorten important COVID-19 related links such as COVID-19 press releases, application forms, and more. As the official government link shortener, Go.gov.sg has allowed citizens to easily access important information without the risk of phishing through the use of a legitimate .gov.sg domain.
Our Impact
- Disseminated over 1 billion COVID-19 related announcements daily to over 1 million subscribers on Gov.sg Whatsapp
- Helped teachers communicate with students at home for home-based learning
- Notified citizens of changes in government agency appointments
- Enabled Ministry of Health’s Healthcare Corps to better manage COVID-19 volunteers
- Shortened over 150,000 links and facilitated more than 117 million link clicks