Google Maps will now highlight coronavirus case counts around the world and how bad outbreaks are in each region, Google announced Wednesday, with a new layer dedicated to information about the pandemic. The new feature will display the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people for the map area that a viewer is looking at, as well as whether cases are trending upward or downward.
The map, which will offer information for every country currently supported in Google Maps, will be color-coded to easily show the density of each area’s outbreaks, ranging from green (less than one case per 100,000 people) to dark red (more than 40 cases per 100,000 people).
The map will be based on information from “multiple authoritative sources,” including Johns Hopkins University, the New York Times and Wikipedia.
Users can access the feature, which will roll out this week on Android and iOS devices, by tapping the “Layers” button and clicking “COVID-19 info.”