Apple Maps have been improved by ensuring that people in the U.S. can easily locate COVID-19 vaccination centres nearby.
Eligible users can use Apple Maps search bar to find nearby vaccination centres, or they can ask Siri, to help them find the nearest vaccination centre. This is Apple's latest effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The firm already designed a new function in Siri which can provide details on COVID-19 from reliable sources as well as critical data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In the new version of the Apple Maps, the firm added a function that allows people in the United States to find the closest medical shops and suppliers of corona virus vaccinations. Apple displays vaccination centres from Vaccine Finder, a new vaccine locator application which was made by the Boston Children's Hospital. This new app has up-to-date information and data on vaccine centres in the United States and can also give details on corona virus testing centres. In addition to United States, Apple Maps also gives information for testing locations in Canada, Australia, Germany, France, New Zealand, Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and also in Portugal.
The Maps also has place cards for each vaccination facility. Each place card will include the phone numbers, operating hours, and address, as well as a link to the official site where users of Apple Maps can get to know about the vaccines available. Apple has currently included over 20,000 places around the country and will add some more in the April 2021. After this Apple has also added a feature to the Apple Business Register webpage that allows businesses to update data about corona virus testing and vaccination locations. Apple has also released a new mobility data trends tool based on information from the Apple Maps. The data is provided to regulatory departments, and the firm said that it can also provide support in the formulation of new public policies.