Countries step up innovation efforts, using over 500 digital apps to combat COVID-19

Countries step up innovation efforts, using over 500 digital apps to combat COVID-19

NEW YORK — From chatbots in Singapore to drones in Oman; from robotic medical assistants in Indonesia to virtual doctors in Brazil; while the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc across the world, governments have been working hard to implement digital solutions to minimize the adverse impact of the virus and to ensure business continuity.

"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies have enabled governments to connect with people and to continue to deliver services online," said Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, DESA. "In many countries, the digital government has stepped