Facebook Launches COVID-19 Info Portal In The News Feed

On Wednesday, Facebook announced that it is launching a new COVID-19 Information Center that will help its users get access to accurate details about the infectious disease. The portal will soon appear at the top of users' News Feeds where they can be followed for faster access to info. As well, the company has revealed that it'll make Workplace Advanced available to certain agencies for free.

The new Coronavirus Information Portal (below) features real-time updates from global health organizations and national health authorities in the users' countries. The portal will also serve as an access point to articles, videos, and other information about the virus, including ways to help prevent it.

For users in the United States, Facebook says it will show features that'll provide access to the local community where they can seek help if necessary. You'll need to follow the Information Center once the prompt appears at the top of your News Feed in order to get the future updates, however.

In addition to the new portal, Facebook has revealed that it is making its Workplace Advanced service available for free for 12 months to emergency services and government agencies. This will enable teams of people to stay connected in real-time and quickly share information even when in different locations.

Beyond that, Facebook says it has almost doubled its WhatsApp service capacity to handle the increased communications taking place through it. This should offer more reliable video and voice calls, among other things. These efforts join the fact-checkers that Facebook is using to reveal information about COVID-19.