Google has now announced that it has introduced an update which will let people find the nearest COVID-19 testing centres on Google Search, Assistant, and Maps.
The feature is now rolling out across India and it has been developed in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and MyGov to help people as well as healthcare workers as we collectively work toward overcoming this pandemic.
When making a coronavirus-related search (eg. “coronavirus testing”), people will now see a ‘Testing’ tab on the results page providing a list of nearby testing labs along with key information and guidance needed before using their services. This includes government-mandated requirements such as:
1. Calling the national or state helplines before heading out to get tested
2. Carrying a doctor’s prescription (referral required)
3. Testing restrictions (tests are limited to certain patients)
4. Information about whether the lab is government- or private-run.
On Google Maps, when people search for keywords like “covid 19 testing” or “coronavirus testing” they will see a list of nearby testing labs, with a link to Google Search for the government-mandated requirements.
At the moment, Google has integrated around 700 testing labs on Search, Assistant, and Maps across 300 cities in India. They will continue to work with ICMR as we surface more labs across the country. This information is available in English and in eight Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, and Gujarati.