As part of its contribution to fighting the coronavirus pandemic, Google now lists COVID-19 testing centers in search results for most US states. As of now, Google lists over 2,000 coronavirus testing centers in 43 states of America.
When a search related to COVID-19 is performed on Google, a tab labeled as “Testing” is shown to the left of the search results page, and clicking on the tab displays various resources related to coronavirus on the top of the search results. Some of these include –
- A link to CDC’s online COVID-19 symptom checker
- A suggestion to talk to a healthcare provider
- A link to local health authorities on COVID-19 testing
- Booking with a testing center to get the desired test done
While the Google search result page under the Testing tab reveals thousands of COVID-19 testing centers in 43 states, there are no results for testing centers in Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Google said these other states will be included in searches for testing centers near you after health authorities give their approval for their inclusion. Only Albany is listed for New York, but Google said other centers will soon be listed for the state.
Having COVID-19 testing centers listed in Google search results is dependent on where an individual lives, but Google will usually provide links to local health authorities where testing centers are not available for listing. The testing information that will be displayed in place of testing centers will be those from healthcare institutions, public health departments, and government agencies, among others.
On March 21, Google launched a website dedicated to COVID-19 information and resources; and Apple Inc. also launched a related website where all information and resources related to coronavirus are available for the public on Apple devices. Healthcare providers and test labs can also input relevant COVID-19 data that can be indexed on Apple Maps search results.
Verily, Google’s sister company is also carrying out coronavirus tests for eligible candidates in California, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
Source: theverge.com