Google Doodle tells users to ‘wear a mask, save lives’ in public service announcement

Google’s homepage serves as a friendly reminder of mask-wearing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: Google)

Visitors to Google’s homepage on Wednesday are being greeted with a doodle that serves as a friendly reminder of the importance of wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Upon reaching the homepage, visitors encounter an image of the traditional Google logo, which then morphs into a group of letters wearing masks.

The letters then shift away from one another, a subtle nod to the important role social distancing plays in slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

After clicking on the logo, users are brought to a page where they are given search results for COVID-19 prevention. At the top of the page, a graphic reads, “Wear a mask. Save lives.”

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Clicking on the Google Doodle reveals a graphic that reads, “Wear a mask. Save lives.” (Source: Google)

The top search results are links to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

A side panel on the page gives users a case overview for their specific county and country.Over the weekend, Google posted a YouTube video that cycled through masked versions of emoji.

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The video ended with the message, “Wear a mask. Help slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Last month, fellow-tech giant Facebook announced it would put a notice at the top of its platform, as well as on Instagram, that reminds users to wear face masks, FOX News reported.

Google often uses its doodles to commemorate holidays, events and notable moments in history.

The company’s July 4 doodle featured sparklers writing the letters of it logo. Last Christmas, the Google doodle featured its logo wrapped in lights, with two letters replaced by festive ornaments.

Since its very first doodle in 1998, Google has shared more than 4,000 variants of its logo on its users’ homepages across the globe.

This story was reported from Atlanta.