World's smallest woman in India stay-at-home virus appeal

The world's shortest woman took to the streets in central India on Monday to call on people to stay at home, after police appealed for help enforcing a coronavirus lockdown.

Jyoti Amge, who is just 62.8 centimetres tall, encouraged people to wash their hands and wear a mask and gloves when they leave their homes as she made appearances across Nagpur city, in Maharashtra state.

"Our police officers, healthcare workers, military officers are on the frontline battling the virus and saving lives and I wanted to contribute in my own way, however small," the 26-year-old said.

"I asked people to maintain social distancing and stay home to cut the virus transmission chain."

Amge has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia and is the world's shortest woman according to the Guinness World Records.

She has worked in television — both in India and the United States — after taking the title in 2011.

India is in a nationwide lockdown since late March, with residents permitted to leave their homes only for essential services such as buying groceries and medicine.

The world's second-most populous nation of 1.3 billion people has reported more than 9,300 coronavirus cases including 324 deaths from the disease.