VANCOUVER -- Uber drivers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or are placed in quarantine by a public health authority will have 14 days of paid sick leave, the company announced Saturday.
The policy is already in place in "some markets," according to a statement the company sent CTV News on Saturday. The company said it is working to roll out the policy worldwide, but it did not specify which locations were already eligible for the paid leave.
“We are supporting drivers and delivery people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed in quarantine by a public health authority," said a statement attributed to Andrew Macdonald, senior vice-president of rides and platform.
"Drivers and delivery people in these situations will receive compensation for a period of up to 14 days. This has already begun in some markets and we are working to implement mechanisms to do this worldwide. We believe this is the right thing to do.”
The company said it will compensate drivers who are able to show, with documentation, that they have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus or have been placed in quarantine by public health officials.
Uber also says it has a "dedicated global team" working "to respond as needed" in the markets where the ride-sharing company operates.
The company also said that to the best of its knowledge, there have been no cases of COVID-19 spread between Uber drivers and riders, or vice-versa.
British Columbia only recently approved Uber and Lyft to operate in the province, and the first cars hit the streets in late January. The province currently has a total of 27 known COVID-19 cases.
Uber has been operating in many other provinces for longer. There are currently 28 cases of COVID-18 in Ontario and two in Alberta.
