MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Google introduced the COVID-19 layer in Maps, a tool that shows critical information about COVID-19 cases in an area so people can make more informed decisions about where to go and what to do.
How it works
On Google Maps, tap on the layers button on the top right hand corner of your screen and click on “COVID-19 info”. A seven-day average of new COVID cases per 100,000 people for the area of the map will show, including a label that indicates whether the cases are trending up or down. Color coding also helps 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 including the Philippines, along with province and city-level data where available.
Where Google gets the data
Data featured in the COVID-19 layer comes from multiple authoritative sources, including Johns Hopkins and the New York Times among many others. These sources get data from public health organizations like the World Health Organization, government health departments, along with local health agencies and hospitals. Many of these sources already power COVID-19 case information in Search, and now this data is being expanded to Google Maps.
While getting around is more complicated these days, Google Maps features hope to help people get where they need to be as safely and efficiently as possible. The COVID-19 layer has already started rolling out worldwide on Android and iOS.
