- Google Maps was as soon as already an valuable mobile app that’s rolled out a bevy of updates for the coronavirus generation.
- This week, one other update is coming to Google Maps for each and each Android and iOS users that can add a COVID-19 records layer to the app.
- As soon as you could be able to want essentially the most up to date version of Google Maps, you’ll get a intention to undercover agent detailed coronavirus case records and trends for areas you’re the utilization of the mapping app to navigate to and round.
Google Maps was as soon as already an valuable mobile app for travelers treasure me, providing a grimy rich bounty of records that helps me navigate cities and towns on my travels (aid, pointless to claim, sooner or later of the pre-coronavirus generation, since none of us are doing grand within the technique of touring within the intervening time). As a testament to how grand of a Swiss Army knife the app has turn out to be over the final couple of years, despite the reality that, I’ve discovered it to be no much less critical this day, as it also serves as an records repository and priceless provide of records that’s especially associated now — treasure restaurant hours and shrimp print, as well to the correct technique to name directly from the app, as I’ve leaned more than ever on to-trail ordering sooner or later of the age of COVID-19.
And speaking of the latter, Google Maps will doubtless be rolling out a brand unique update along those lines this week that will doubtless be one of many app’s most important ever. In temporary, it’s a brand unique COVID-19 layer inner Maps, that can indicate crucial shrimp print about COVID-19 cases in an home so users can salvage greater and more educated choices as they employ Google Maps to support them determine where to head and what to possess and when they salvage there.
In a firm blog publish published on Wednesday that was as soon as penned by Google Maps product supervisor Sujoy Banerjee, it’s explained that when you could be able to want the up thus far version of the app, lawful tap on the “layers” icon within the tip factual corner of the screen. From there, click on “COVID-19 records.”
“You’ll then compare a seven-day life like of up to date COVID cases per 100,000 other folks for the home of the map you’re searching at, and a mark that indicates whether the cases are trending up or down,” Banerjee writes. “Color-coding also helps you simply distinguish the density of up to date cases in an home. Trending case records is considered on the nation level for all 220 nations and territories that Google Maps helps, along with impart or province, county, and city-level records where on hand.”
In line with Google, the records for this unique feature inner Google Maps comes from Johns Hopkins University, The Fresh York Times, and Wikipedia. Those sources are idea to be authoritative, in step with the hunt extensive, because they salvage their records, in turn, from sources treasure public well being entities including the World Well being Organization, executive well being ministries, hospitals, and impart and native well being companies. Essentially, COVID-19 case records users can create from inner Google Search already comes from those sources — it’s lawful being expanded to the Maps product.
This unique coronavirus-themed update is per identical advances Google has brought to Maps recently, similar to exhibiting COVID-19 alerts in transit, as well to COVID checkpoints in driving navigation. And, as noted, this update that contains the COVID-19 layer is rolling out worldwide this week for each and each Android and iOS users.
Andy is a reporter in Memphis who also contributes to stores treasure Fleet Firm and The Guardian. When he’s no longer writing about technology, he can even be discovered hunched protectively over his burgeoning assortment of vinyl, as well to nursing his Whovianism and bingeing on a unfold of TV reveals you in all likelihood don’t treasure.