Google launches educational coronavirus website
Google launched an educational coronavirus website on Saturday that contains safety tips and authoritative information about the pandemic.
The move comes a week after President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence announced that Google was building a nationwide testing website, where Americans could answer a questionnaire and be directed to their nearest testing locations. But Google never affirmed the administration’s claims, and the website that launched Saturday does not include a testing screener.
The website, google.com/covid19, is “focused on education, prevention and local resources. People can find state-based information, safety and prevention tips, search trends related to COVID-19, and further resources for individuals, educators and businesses,” Google said in a blog post.
Google’s plans were delayed earlier this week, when it said that it hoped to link out to a screening tool developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That tool appears not to be ready yet, and it is unclear when it may be completed.
The search giant also said Saturday that it will begin surfacing trustworthy information about the coronavirus directly in search results and Google Maps as Americans search for medical services.
Verily, a sister company to Google that is owned by the same parent, Alphabet, launched its version of a testing website on Monday. Its features hew more closely to what the Trump administration has envisioned. But that website is not built or operated by Google.
