Uber promised to provide drivers masks weeks ago. However they’re still waiting

Two weeks ago, Uber said the company is shipping ten million face masks to uber drivers. The company said it would prioritize full-time drivers who are currently working in the hard-hit cities by CVID-19 like Los Angeles and New York. Later the drivers in other cities will be provided masks.

Drivers in New York and Los Angeles say none of the drivers have received any supplies yet. Wearing masks when stepping out of the house for essential workers is mandatory in many US cities. CDC said that every person should wear a mask when going out in public places to limit Coronavirus spread.

Lyft and Uber drivers are amongst the essential workers, and they have to continue working even in the pandemic. They have been continuously delivering food and transporting medical workers. Drivers are facing a difficult time, either getting infected or seeing their incomes plummet. Four Uber drivers have died from COVID-19.

“It’s been disappointing that when crisis struck, Uber and Lyft did not move quickly to protect their workers and riders.” “After several weeks without income and with unemployment claims stuck in bureaucracy, more drivers are looking to get back to work, but they need to be protected.” said a spokesman of the Independent Drivers Guild, Moira Muntz.

The problem is that shelves are empty during this outbreak, and there is a shortage of supply gear now. To overcome this issue, Uber said the company is working with manufacturers in China to source masks for Uber drivers. These masks are not N95 that are used by health workers, but instead, these are disposable earloop masks.

Uber initially said the first order of 20,000 masks had been shipped in New York City on 7th April. Uber said the company could not predict the delivery and delays of shipment.

“Like so many in the US and around the world, we have struggled to find these types of supplies, but we leveraged our global footprint to source items from suppliers around the world,” the spokesman said. “Of course, given the logistical realities, getting a mask to every active driver will take time, and we have been honest about that.”.

“I got about six face masks from Uber today after filling out the request form last week,” one Los Angeles-based Reddit user posted last Friday. “Good too, the one I was using for the last 30 days is just about trashed.”

Uber is prioritizing the drivers who need masks, and the only way is to get them is to be invited by the company itself. The company sends messages to the driver through the app, asking if they want masks. The driver needs to confirm the address.

Source-news.com