Google on Monday announced that Google Maps will soon provide Covid-19 alerts that you might need to know about while you're driving or riding on public transit. The new features are rolling out to Google Maps on iPhone and Android in the coming weeks.
If you're planning to drive to a testing center, whether it's a medical facility or a local retail partner offering tests, Google will remind you to "verify eligibility and facility guidelines to avoid being turned away or causing additional strain on the local healthcare system," the company said. Testing locations in some states, for example, still require appointments, referrals or limit tests to certain patients. These alerts will start to appear in the U.S., Indonesia, Israel, the Philippines and South Korea.
Google said it will also warn you if there's a Covid-19 checkpoint on your route, starting first with the borders between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. "You'll see an alert on the directions screen and after starting navigation if your route is impacted by these restrictions," Google said.
Likewise, it'll let you know if public transit has been affected by Covid-19, and if transit lines are running on a different schedule due to limited service. Transit alerts will appear in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
