Facebook has announced that a Coronavirus (COVID-19) information centre will appear at the top of the news feed and users will be able to access the latest news and other information and tips to stay safe how they can support their local community.

The information centre will feature real-time updates from the World Health Organisation as well as national health authorities, which will include articles, videos and other forms of media informing Facebook users about prevention from the pandemic.

Also, users can subscribe to the information centre, so that updates appear directly on their news feed.

The Facebook information centre is currently being rolled out in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, UK and USA. It will be available to all users in there in the next 24 hours, with more countries to follow in the coming days.

Users in USA will also see new features that allow them to connect with local groups and also offer or ask for help with local communities. This feature will also be expanded to other countries in the coming days.

Over 200,000 Coronavirus cases have been registered worldwide with more than 8000 deaths, including over 2500 in Italy alone. With the new information centre that’ll feature at the top of the news feed, Facebook aims to eliminate any false information about the virus and connect people with credible sources of information.

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Facebook offers Workplace Advanced for free

The company has also announced that they’ll be offering free Workplace Advanced subscription to government organisations and emergency services for the next 12 months as these organisations play a crucial part in combatting the outbreak.“These organisations play a vital role during the coronavirus outbreak, whether it’s acting as first responders or coordinating public information. Workplace can help inform and connect their employees, allowing them to share critical information in real-time and enabling leadership to reach employees via live videos, posts and more,” Facebook announced.