Google’s sister company, which launched a site offering to help patients schedule coronavirus tests, ran out of appointments in just one day.
Verily, an online health-information platform run by Google’s parent company Alphabet, launched Project Baseline on Monday.
The site was only available to residents aged 18 or older in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in California and was meant to help them book slots at local testing centers.
But, soon after going live, it reached capacity and, as of Tuesday morning, a message now greets visitors that says the site is ‘unable to schedule more appointments at this time.’
It comes just days after President Donald Trump incorrectly announced that Google was building a nationwide website to help people determine whether and how to get a test for the new virus.
Google’s sister company, offering to schedule appointments for Americans to be tested for coronavirus has reached capacity after just one day
Verily – an online health subsidiary run by parent company Apple – launched Project Baseline on Monday to residents of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Pictured: Nurses conduct tests at a drive-up coronavirus testing station at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, March 13
One day after going live, the website reached capacity and said it was ‘unable to schedule more appointments.’ Pictured: Members of the Colorado Air National Guard test people for coronavirus in Denver, March 14
On Verily’s website, the notice urges users to ‘check back later’ as the company expands this program.
However, it is not clear how soon that will be and how many appointments were scheduled before running out.
‘In these first few days of this pilot, we expect appointment availability to be limited as we stand up operations and that testing capacity will increase in the days to come,’ Verily told The Verge in a statement.
Verily did not immediately reply to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
The company did clarify, however, that its program is not meant for people exhibiting severe symptoms such as ‘severe cough, severe shortness of breath, severe fever.’
In the US, more than 4,700 people have been infected and 93 people have died
The news comes after President Trump announced on Friday during a news conference in the Rose Garden that Google was working on a website to help Americans determine whether and how to get tested for coronavirus.
Google later clarified that its tool would not be helping patients do that.
Instead, the website will display information about how Americans can access screening, and list other information about local testing sites.
It will also have a link to the screening tool being developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The informational coronavirus website was supposed to be launched on Monday, but it will be delayed until later this week.
On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that Google was developing a website to help Americans determine whether and how to get tested. Pictured: Carroll Hospital Critical Care Unit Clinical Manager Stephanie Bakert talks to a person through his car window using a mobile phone before testing him for coronavirus in Maryland, March 16
The company later clarified that its tool will be provide information to the public about how to access screenings. Pictured: An ambulance worker and a patient wear masks arriving at the emergency entrance at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Georgia, March 16
One reason is that Google says it’s still waiting for more information about local testing sites to be made available.
‘With local and national guidance evolving rapidly, Google will continue working with relevant agencies and authorities to roll out a website later this week that will surface authoritative information for people in the US, including on screening and testing,’ Google said in a statement to CNN.
Worldwide, more than 187,000 people in more than 130 countries have been infected and more than 7,400 people have died.
In the US, more than 4,700 cases have been confirmed and 93 people have died.