Google Maps to give COVID-19 related travel information under latest feature update

Alphabet Inc has announced a new addition to its Google Maps service. According to reports, Google Maps will be adding features that will alert the users of COVID-19 restrictions to help them plan their trips better and avoid crowded places. Google announced that the upcoming feature will allow people to see how crowded a particular station is and what routes busses were running on.

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Google Map features to make navigating COVID-19 restrictions easier

In a blog post, the company announced that the features will soon be available in Argentina, France, India, Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom among other countries. The new update will also include information about coronavirus checkpoints and any restrictions with regards to crossing national borders (starting first in Canada, Mexico and the US).

With regard to medical facilities, the app will also display an alert that would remind people of eligibility criteria and facility guidelines, helping them take necessary precautions so that people are not needlessly turned away and also reduced the strain on healthcare systems. As per the blog post, the alerts for medical facilities will be available from this week in Indonesia, Israel, the Philippines, South Korea, and the US in addition to testing centre alerts in the US.

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Google Maps will also utilise past data to show times when transit stations have been historically more or less crowded, this will allow people to plan their trips better and maintain social distancing norms.

At the end of the blog post, Google reflected that COVID-19 has impacted the entire world and its repercussions will linger and force the world to adapt. In light of the changes that people will have to make in their daily lives, Google reiterated its commitment to bringing the most pertinent information for its users.

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