Google Maps will soon warn of Corona risk areas

Do you know which travel destinations have an increased risk of coronavirus? And which ones are safe? There are many apps launched since the Coronavirus started to spread however they lacked a trusted brand behind them. Google’s map and navigation service will now provide answers to these questions in the future.

In almost every second country in the world, the number of infections is skyrocketing again. In India, too, several states are exceeding the 1000 new infections within one day. Google maps will now give an overview of where the cases are currently piling up. 

It is not always easy to keep an overview of this dynamic situation. The navigation app Google Maps should therefore be able to warn travelers in the future if they are on their way to an area with particularly high numbers of infections or if they are crossing it. According to Google, the function is intended to help users make better decisions and protect themselves from infection. 

The Corona layer with color-coding shows danger levels

The ‘Corona Layer’ is intended to visualize the spread of the Covid-19 disease caused by the virus in the various regions and is only displayed in the mobile version of the map service. To do this, Google uses publicly available data and calculates the 7-day average of the newly reported Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. It shows the number of people who were last found infected in the area that the user is currently viewing in the app. Different colors should also signal how serious the situation is compared to other areas. 

The corona layer should be activated this week. To do this, users have to change the view by tapping on the icon with the two superimposed cards in the top right under the search bar. So far, you can choose between the standard map, the satellite view, the bike map, and the street view. It will work on both the iPhone and the Android platforms but you may need to update the app. 

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Google previously tested the new function in the US. It is now supported in 220 countries and territories around the world. However, the same amount of detailed and reliable data is not available everywhere. Google obtains information from various publicly available sources.