Google’s web mapping service Google Maps announces the introduction of its COVID layer, which shows critical information about COVID-19 cases in an area. This could be a predominant aid for people to make informed decisions about where to go and how to go. Google Maps had previously added features like popular times and live busyness, COVID-19 alerts in transit, and COVID checkpoints in driving navigation for the same cause.

Regarding the way new feature works, Google wrote in a blog post, “When you open Google Maps, tap on the layers button on the top right hand corner of your screen and click on ‘COVID-19 info’. You’ll then see a seven-day average of new COVID cases per 100,000 people for the area of the map you’re looking at, and a label that indicates whether the cases are trending up or down. Color coding also helps you easily distinguish the density of new cases in an area. Trending case data is visible at the country level for all 220 countries and territories that Google Maps supports, along with state or province, county, and city-level data where available.”

To enable the COVID layer feature, Google mines data from authoritative sources, including Johns Hopkins, the New York Times, and Wikipedia. These sources, which get data from public health organizations like the World Health Organization, government health ministries, along with state and local health agencies and hospitals, have been performing their own discrete endeavors to provide information to users. Now Google will provide a uniform structure to the information.

The blog post further added, “While getting around is more complicated these days, our hope is that these Google Maps features will help you get where you need to be as safely and efficiently as possible. The COVID layer starts rolling out worldwide on Android and iOS this week.”