Apple Maps is collecting COVID-19 testing sites to display directly in the app. Healthcare providers, laboratories, and other businesses are encouraged to share information on assessment locations Apple “may display” to users.
Denoted by a red asterisk symbol, verified venues include important details including place name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and direct website. A card at the bottom of the screen also provides additional information such as type of location (hospital, laboratory, diagnostic services center), nature of site (drive-through, parking lot, inside building, makeshift lab), and whether a referral is required.
To suggest new testing centers, healthcare providers can “Add a missing place” via the “info” icon in the upper right corner of Maps; download, fill out, and return a new template through Apple’s portal; or send an updated spreadsheet to [email protected]. When submitting location information, do not include any personal details.
“We are focused on collecting and adding as many locations as possible,” according to the Maps FAQ page. “Which means you may not be notified when your information has been included.” There is no word yet on how long it will take for testing sites to appear in the app. “We’re working to verify and add as many … as we can, as quickly as possible,” the company said.
This call out comes days after Apple and Google teamed up to create a smartphone-based system that notifies people when they’ve come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The “contact tracing” technology aims to help authorities track and contain the illness.
