You can now stay safe and play Pokémon GO from home

Pokémon GO has made some adjustments to the game that make it easier to play from the comfort of your own home, meaning that those in self-isolation can still catch all the Pokémon they want.

The news was announced in a post on the official Pokémon GO blog. In the post, the Pokémon GO team announced that the Abra Community Day event has sadly been postponed and, effective immediately until further notice, the Pokémon GO app has had a new set of updates.

You can check out the updates below.

• A one-time purchase bundle of 30 Incense for 1 PokéCoin. Incense will also last for one hour.
• 1/2 Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed into Incubators during this time period
• PokéStops will now drop Gifts more frequently
• Pokémon habitats will increase and more Pokémon will be appearing in the wild

While the blog post doesn’t mention any specific reason for the updates, a Niantic representative released a statement to Polygon saying that “While we’ve made these updates based on the current global health situation, we also encourage players to make decisions on where to go and what to do that are in the best interest of their health and the health of their communities.”

Niantic also confirmed that the studio is “prioritizing updates to Pokémon GO features and experiences that can be enjoyed in individual settings.”

In related Pokémon GO news, the Safari Zone St. Louis event has been officially postponed over coronavirus concerns. A new date for the event has yet to be set, but Niantic says that it’s currently looking into alternate dates within the next 12 months.

The 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has recently been classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. At the time of publishing, there have been 125,048 cases of COVID-19 confirmed globally, with 3,173 deaths confirmed in China and 1,440 deaths outside of China.

Maintaining good hygiene practices, such as washing your hands regularly and covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze, can help to prevent the spread of most viruses and keep yourself and others safe from infection.

If you have concerns regarding COVID-19, you can visit the World Health Organization website to check on the status of the outbreak and educate yourself on related issues.