Google Maps has made a major update, making it easier to find food for Thanksgiving dinner without encountering crowds or being infected with COVID-19.

In anticipation of the U.S. holiday, Google updated its maps to tell users the best and worst times to visit grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops based on the crowds traveling to and from these locations. This allows users to learn more about when to visit a store to keep their social distance.

"Google Maps' popular hours and crowds have always been an essential tool during the holidays, helping to avoid unnecessary crowds. With these tools, you can know in advance when the crowds will be, saving valuable time and maintaining social distance," explains Holly Day, Chief Holiday Innovation Officer at Google Maps.

"So if you feel you need a caffeine boost to tackle holiday errands, avoid going out to buy coffee at 10 am on a Saturday morning, when coffee shops across the US tend to be the busiest. And if you plan to shop for holiday meals, stay away from grocery stores between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, when the lines are likely to be long."

This new feature is very easy to use, and when you enter directions to a grocery store or navigate to the nearest coffee shop, information about how crowded the location is is provided mixed in with the directions.

This additional information can be obtained simply by using Google Maps as usual. It will also show you how congested the public transportation is during your commute.

In addition, a COVID-19 overlay has been added to provide information on the total number of COVID-19s in the area where the user lives.