Google Maps now shows info on COVID cases

GOOGLE MAPS now has a feature that shows information about coronavirus cases in an area.

Tech giant Google LLC said in an emailed statement on Monday that the new tool is aimed at helping users ”make more informed decisions about where to go and what to do” amid the coronavirus pandemic crisis.

Google said the new feature shows a sevenday average of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people for the area of the map.

“It includes 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,” the tech company said.

The Google Maps features data from “multiple authoritative sources, including Johns Hopkins and the New York Times,” Google said.

“These sources get data from public health organizations like the World Health Organization, government health departments, along with local health agencies and hospitals,” it added.

The coronavirus has sickened 33.3 million and killed more than a million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.