Google Maps will display COVID-19 vaccination sites soon and bolster awareness of the virus as well as how to avoid being infected.
COVID-19 vaccination near me: Google will soon provide reliable answers
Google Maps Returns To Apple's iPhone FAIRFAX, CA - DECEMBER 13: The Google Maps app is seen on an Apple iPhone 4S on December 13, 2012 in Fairfax, California. Three months after Apple removed the popular Google Maps from its operating system to replace it with its own mapping software, a Google Maps app has been added to the iTunes store. Apple Maps were widely panned in tech reviews and among customers, the fallout resulting in the dismissal of the top executive in charge of Apple's mobile operating system.
The feature that would help millions of people determine where the nearest COVID-19 vaccination site might come is starting in four states: Mississippi, Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas. On Monday, Google announced that searches for "COVID-19 Vaccines Near Me" increased five times since the start of the year, and the company is implementing this feature to ensure it would provide reliable local answers.
According to CNN, the results shown in designated information panels include details about the required appointment, if the COVID-19 vaccine is available only to specific groups and if drive-thru is also available.
The online search giant said it works with "authoritative sources" to garner details, such as retail pharmacies and local governments. Nearly 60% of Americans say they don't know where or when to get the COVID-19 vaccine, as per the Kaiser Family Foundation survey. However, vaccine site details will roll out later to other states and nations.
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As President Joe Biden urges patience that rollout will soon be improved, vaccine availability in the U.S. also has been problematic. The newly-elected President aims to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine in the first 100 days in office.
Google Maps' latest change was also related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per Android Police. The Maps app started displaying seven-day averages of new coronavirus cases per 100,00 people in September.
On Monday, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is donating $100 million in ad grants to the World Health Organization, CDC Foundation, and other nonprofits in running "crucial public service health announcements" regarding the coronavirus. "We recognize that getting vaccines to people is a complex problem to solve, and we're committed to doing our part," Pichai said.
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Google opens U.S. offices into Covid-19 vaccine clinics
Some of Google's offices, car parks, and open spaces were being offered to COVID-19 vaccination centers, the online search giant announced. The company contributed to combating the virus in different ways throughout the pandemic, such as working with Apple in creating a blueprint for contact-tracing apps worldwide, Daily Mail reported.
Google CEO also revealed that Google is adding COVID-19 vaccination location details to Search and Maps to help people get reliable information on when and where they can get a job. Previously, the tech giant said all staff would work from home until at least July due to the pandemic that leaves their vast office spaces idle.
American supplies Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines and vaccinated 6% of its population of around 20.5 million doses. Meanwhile, 1.6 million doses were administered on Friday, which exceeded Biden's promise of one million doses per day.
