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Google, Walmart Join US Coronavirus Testing Efforts

By  |  March 15, 2020

Corporate America joined the fight against the spread of coronavirus on Friday, march 13, as President Donald Trump and executives announced that Google would offer a website to help people determine whether they needed tests and retailers would set up drive-through testing in parking lots

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    According to Reuters, shares of Google parent Alphabet, Walmart, Target and drugstore owner CVS Health Corp all closed up more than 9%, in line with the broad stock market, though Alphabet dropped 2% after hours.

    Pressure has been rising on US officials to increase and improve testing for the fast-spreading virus, which has reached almost every U.S. state and infected more than 1,660 people in the country.

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    “I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website, it’s gonna be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location,” Trump said.

    “Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now, made tremendous progress.” 

    An administration presentation showed a potential user would be asked several questions on the website and then given a recommendation as to whether they should get a coronavirus test. 

    Those requiring a test would be referred to a store that can provide assistance, potentially including a drive-through test, according to the administration’s presentation. Results would be available online in 24 to 36 hours.

    Full Content: New York Times

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