Google maps gets Transit, checkpoint alerts and several new COVID-19 related features
With the help of these features, travelling locally within the city will become easier, as Google maps will provide notifications about public transport restrictions, hospital facility guidelines and other alerts.
Covid 19 has truly disrupted our lives. Travelling within our localites leaves us feeling quite anxious due to the fear of contracting the contagious virus. Google has announced, that some new features have been added to Google Maps such as Transit Alerts, Medical Facility Alerts and Checkpoint Alert. These features will help citizens plan their travel when they are about to venture outside. Most of us have been indoors for the past few months, and now the lockdown is being relaxed on a large scale. Naturally people would come out in large numbers, and at such a time, these alerts could make our lives much more convenient and safer.
Transit Alerts
With the help of Transit Alerts, one could find out the status of different public transportation services, for example, it would notify you whether the trains are running late, or how crowded a certain station would be. It would also alert the users of certain restrictions, such as the requirement of a mandatory face mask. At the moment, this feature is available in countries such as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Checkpoint Alert
As the name suggests, the Checkpoint Alert system will inform the user about any restrictions which have been implemented on the borders. This alert system would be particularly helpful for those, who intend on crossing the national borders. This feature is only available in countries such as Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.
Medical Facility Alert
For individuals who are heading towards a hospital or a C19 testing centre, the app will provide the user with the guidelines as enforced by the facility, and will also as the user to verify their eligibility. However, this feature is present only in countries like Indonesia, Israel, the Philippines, South Korea, and the United States of America, with the USA only having access to the testing centre alert.
How can you use these features ?
If your country is one where these features have been introduced, to gain access to these features, make sure the latest version of Google Maps has been installed on your phone. If it is, then you are good to go. Stay safe readers!
