Uber said in a memo that it will be compensating drivers and delivery workers who have to quarantine or are diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
—rat king (@MikeIsaac) March 7, 2020
In a statement an Uber spokesperson said the company will be compensating drivers and delivery people for up to 14 days who are either diagnosed with COVID-19 or are placed in quarantine by public health officials.
Additionally, they said the measure has already been implemented in some markets and they aim to expand it worldwide.
The company will compensate drivers who proper documentation to show they've been diagnosed with the new virus or that they've been told by to isolate themselves, placed under mandatory quarantine or removed from the app at the direction of a public health official, a spokesperson told Business Insider.
Uber did not say how much workers would be compensated. A spokesperson said a team was consulting with public health experts and organizations to work out their response and compensation plan.
A US Senator sent a letter to Uber requesting that they do more to help drivers in light of the new outbreak.
Most gig workers do not get health insurance or paid sick leave from companies they contract with, which means many will work even if they are sick.
Delivery workers and drivers have on-demand jobs that require they come in contact with hundreds of people on a daily basis, which could increase their risk of becoming infected with the novel virus.
In the US, 17 people have died from COVID-19 and more than 300 have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus.
There hasn't been any known cases of the new virus spreading between Uber drivers and riders.
