Google Maps now shows COVID-19 cases nearby following an update to the app. To access the new feature, tap on the layers icon in the top-right corner of the app, select “COVID-19 info” and press “OK”.
Google Maps will display a seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in a given area. The app uses color coding to show how dense the number of new cases are in each region. The data sources used to display this information include John Hopkins University, The New York Times and Wikipedia.
The feature is now available on both iOS and Android in all 220 countries and territories that Google Maps supports. Google hopes the update will allow users to “make more informed decisions about where to go and what to do.” To see the feature in action click here.
Google’s Coronavirus Tools
The latest announcement adds to the growing number of tools Google has released to help fight COVID-19. Users can already receive COVID-19 transit alerts and view how busy public areas are directly through Maps. Moreover, the company added alert information to Search when users look for COVID-19-related information. In April, Google announced it was developing contact-tracing technology with Apple which has since rolled out worldwide.
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