Google Maps’ new COVID-19 layer is the most effective new trick for safer journey

• Google Maps’ new “COVID-19 layer” lets consumers to see up-to-date coronavirus risk figures.
• It reveals a 7-working day ordinary of the quantity of new scenarios for each 100,000 folks.
• Stats are based mostly on The New York Instances, Wikipedia, Johns Hopkins College, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
• This function, together with other individuals this kind of as “reside busyness” and transit alerts, will aid make traveling throughout the pandemic a minimal safer.
• The Centers for Disease Regulate and Avoidance warns that “travel boosts your prospect of receiving and spreading COVID-19.”
• Go to Insider’s homepage for far more tales.

As a Google Pixel cellular phone owner who sings its praises from the rooftops, I am now extremely informed of how Google merchandise help me, equally when I journey and in my working day-to-day everyday living.

Even so, Google Maps not long ago unveiled a new aspect that can aid us all be a little safer during this pandemic — particularly as the holidays strategy and several will journey to see household, despite the Centers for Condition Regulate and Prevention’s recommendation that people today remain property.

As a travel reporter who has scarcely still left her hometown in nine months, and is scheduling to drive 33 hrs to Colorado for the wintertime shortly, this new attribute, named the “COVID-19 layer,” makes me sense a tiny bit a lot more in manage.

The new “COVID-19 layer” enables customers to see up-to-day coronavirus danger figures, as well as no matter if the variety of circumstances is going up or down.

It shows a 7-working day typical of the amount of new conditions for every 100,000 individuals. 

According to Google, the stats are centered on The New York Periods, Wikipedia, Johns Hopkins College, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company.

To get to this layer, open up Google Maps and click on on the levels icon on the top rated proper, which looks like two minimal squares on major of every other. Then click on on “COVID-19 facts.”

Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

You then probably will need to zoom out a tiny little bit as the facts is by county, condition, and nation. The map is shade-coded, ranging from gray (much less than just one scenario for every 100,000 folks) to darkish crimson (40+ circumstances per 100,000 persons).

Seeking at the map will assist you see whether there are any outbreaks in your area — I uncover this especially handy provided the predicted article-Thanksgiving spike.

Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

It can also enable tell any excursions you have prepared, as you can see if situations are mounting at your location. Clicking on a place will also choose you to community coronavirus means.

Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Google has also rolled out other useful coronavirus-associated capabilities, which includes “reside busyness” data for public transportation, dining establishments, and retailers, as properly as supplying any COVID-19 updates these may have or precautions they have place in position, as very well as transit alerts and COVID-19 constraints for routes you glance up.

It is value noting that the Centers for Condition Manage and Avoidance warns that “travel boosts your probability of obtaining and spreading COVID-19.”

This is an viewpoint column. The ideas expressed are individuals of the author(s).