Google says it is developing a coronavirus website with US government
- The website would help Americans with questions about coronavirus symptoms, risk factors and testing
- US President Donald Trump had thanked Google on Friday for developing the website, saying that 1,700 engineers were working on it
Alphabet’s Google said on Saturday that it was working with the United States government to develop a nationwide website that would help Americans with questions about coronavirus symptoms, risk factors and testing.
“We are fully aligned and continue to work with the US government to contain the spread of Covid-19, inform citizens, and protect the health of our communities,” Google said in a statement on Twitter.
US President Donald Trump had thanked Google on Friday for developing a website that he said would help people determine whether they needed a coronavirus test, saying that 1,700 engineers were working on it.
That prompted the internet search and advertising giant to respond that, in fact, a life sciences division, Verily, was in the early stages of developing a tool to help triage Americans who may need testing for the coronavirus, and that it would be initially tested in the San Francisco Bay Area and expanded over time.
Alphabet’s shares closed up more than 9 per cent after the Friday announcement by the president.