With all the different programs countries are implementing to stop the spread of the coronavirus, it is wholly unexpected that there will be a significant decrease in drivers on the road. But of course, there are still people who need to make “essential journeys” every day and so Waze is still gathering data that will be most useful for those who are still going around their areas. The Waze Crisis Response team is currently supporting 58 countries in their regional relief efforts. The navigation app is also supporting local businesses that are still in limited operations during this pandemic situation.
The Waze Crisis Response Team and the volunteer Map Editor Community are working together to support 58 countries in providing relevant information related to their specific relief efforts. This means you will still be able to see things like road closures, red zones, and more importantly, COVID-19 medical testing centers and emergency food resources. They’re also using their Waze for Cities public sector partners to get insights for managing traffic and infrastructure.
Normally, Waze crowdsources things like this but for testing centers, only governments and testing center operators can give information. They have a COVID-19 landing page where local government and public agencies can upload information that will be verified afterward. So you can go ahead and search for testing centers or food distribution locations on the Waze app and you’ll get the ones nearest to your present location.
To help local businesses that are still in operation, Waze is rolling out a new feature to identify which restaurants or shops have drive-through and curbside pickup options. Businesses can add badges through the Location Personalities if they’re offering alternate pick-up options. Users can then search, filter through results, and navigate to places they want to buy from, as long as they are compliant with social distancing guidelines.
Of course, the default action for people now would be to just stay indoors but for those that need to go out and work or purchase essentials, Waze is still fully functional for you. They are encouraging governments and local authorities to update and share information through their navigation service.
