Trump announces that Google will launch new coronavirus website

A new website to help people get screened for the coronavirus will be built by Google and launch on Sunday, according to government officials.

Google hasn’t released information on the website, but President Donald Trump announced details at a Friday news conference.

With most local doctors not being equipped to test their patients for the coronavirus, and with telemedicine providers like Doctor on Demand and AmWell being about the only paid alternatives, Trump said the Google site would help prescreen people and direct them to testing sites.

Trump said Google has 1,700 engineers working on the new website, where users will be asked to fill out a questionnaire about their symptoms. If they pass the criteria, they get directed to new drive-through testing sites the government is planning to roll out.

Outbreak:Coronavirus is changing everyday life across the world

Oh no! Disneyland closes in response to coronavirus

We’ve reached out to Google for comment. 

After a widely panned national address that saw Wall Street respond with the worst drop in years, on Friday Trump responded to the coronavirus outbreak, which has engulfed the world, by declaring a state of national emergency. 

The corovirus has infected over 100,000 people and killed nearly 5,000. In response, in just a few days, many institutions have shut down temporarily, awaiting a return to normalcy. 

This week alone, the National Basketball Association shut down games, Disneyland made plans to close and Broadway went dark. 

Follow USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter

Article source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~/619796300/0/usatoday-techtopstories~Trump-announces-that-Google-will-launch-new-coronavirus-website/