Businesses now can’t reply to Google Reviews and consumers’ newly written Google Reviews aren’t published live.

Google has stated that “[d]uring the unprecedented COVID-19 situation, we are taking steps to protect the health of our team members and reduce the need for people to come into our offices. As a result, there may be some temporary limitations and delays in support as we prioritize critical services.

Our current focus is on the quality and reliability of information on Google Search and Maps. We want to ensure users and business owners have access to essential features like whether the business is open or has special hours.”

Google has also stated that “[n]ew reviews, review replies, and all Q&A will be unavailable during this time.”

It’s to local businesses advantage to have Google Reviews feature temporarily disabled right now because businesses shouldn’t spend time on replying to new reviews. Instead, businesses should focus on doing the best they can to keep their operations going, supporting their staff members, and keeping themselves healthy and safe!