Uber to send tens of millions of masks to drivers and delivery workers during pandemic

Uber will send its drivers and Uber Eats delivery workers millions of masks to help slow the spread of coronavirus, the company said Thursday.

“Drivers and delivery people are providing essential services around the world, from helping essential workers get around to delivering meals to people staying home,” Gus Fuldner, VP of Safety and Insurance, said in a statement. “As they help our communities through this crisis, helping them stay safe is our priority.”

The rideshare company started sending disinfectant sprays to some drivers and will start distributing “ear-loop face masks” to active drivers and delivery people.

The first order of masks was sent Tuesday to drivers in New York City, a coronavirus epicenter.

“We are receiving a shipment of nearly half a million more which we will immediately send to drivers in the hardest-hit US cities,” Fuldner said. “We will also be urging riders to wear face coverings, in line with the Centers for Disease Control’s latest guidance.”

The CDC recommended last week that everyone wear masks in public during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity — for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing — even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms,” the CDC said. “In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.”

Uber said the company has ordered “tens of millions more masks” and plan to give them to workers in the coming weeks, according to the statement.

“We are sourcing these masks from outside of the traditional healthcare supply chains,” Fuldner said. “For example, one of our first major orders is with a company that typically makes electronics and is now producing ear-loop face masks to help meet global demand.”