Amid coronavirus concerns, food ordering and delivery services Uber Eats and Mr D Food have introduced a no-contact drop-off option for its customers.
Mr D Food Chief Executive Officer, Devin Sinclair said Mr D Food is implementing precautionary measures across the business to mitigate the risk of virus transmission.
Food delivery services offer no-contact drop-off amid coronavirus concerns. Picture: Supplied
“We have been educating our staff in line with WHO guidelines and have implemented strict internal hygiene policies across our business such as widespread access to hand sanitizer, increased frequency of cleaning of all workspaces, food hot bags and we will be implementing temperature testing of employees and drivers.
"All drivers will be given access to hand sanitizer with clear instructions to sanitize their hands before and after every delivery or collection. We are communicating with our restaurant partners to encourage them to follow the relevant advice issued by the World Health Organisation and local health authorities for their businesses,” said Sinclair.
He added that to support social distancing they have implemented the option for customers to request “drop off” deliveries by using the delivery instructions in the checkout section of their app to inform drivers as to where customers would prefer their delivery to be left.
“Where specific drop off delivery instructions have not been provided, our drivers have been instructed not to make physical contact with any customers and to maintain a safe distance. Hot bags will be placed on a surface indicated by the customer, the driver will then back away and allow the customer to pick out their order themselves,” said Sinclair.
Food delivery services offer no-contact drop-off amid coronavirus concerns. Picture: Supplied
An Uber Eats spokesperson said they have started educating users about how to request deliveries to be left on their doorsteps and they have waived the delivery fee on orders from 11 am to 2 pm on weekdays, to make meal delivery even more safe and accessible - and to drive increased demand for local restaurants.
“In response to coronavirus concerns, and a growing trend towards limiting contact, we’ve started educating users about these options, and we’re simultaneously accelerating new product features to make the process even smoother. We have asked restaurants to set up dedicated waiting areas for delivery drivers.
"Uber will compensate drivers and delivery people when proper documentation shows they have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, or if they are placed in quarantine, asked to self-isolate, or removed from the app for up to fourteen days at the direction of a public health authority,” they said.