Washington, DC (CNN Business) Confusion greeted the launch of a coronavirus testing website built by Verily, a subsidiary of Alphabet and sister company to Google. The site launched Sunday night and is initially intended for people in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The website was supposed to direct Californians who live in the wider San Francisco area to one of two locations in the state where they could be tested for the novel coronavirus, if they met certain criteria established in an online questionnaire.

At first, users who reported they were suffering from symptoms such as "severe cough, shortness of breath, fever or other conceding symptoms" were advised they were not eligible for testing. If you went to the tool and answered "yes" to the symptoms question, the tool told you "based on your symptoms, in-person COVID-19 testing through this program is not the right fit."

When asked why those with symptoms were being advised not to receive testing, Verily spokeswoman Carolyn Wang told CNN that the tool is meant for those who are unsure if they are infected.

"The initial question is meant to ensure that anyone who is seriously ill does not come to our sites because they are not prepared to provide medical attention," she said in a statement. "We are early in this pilot and are going to be learning more that will help us refine this COVID-19 risk screening and testing."

Read More