Uber Offers to Help With COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Uber Offers to Help With COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Uber Offers to Help With COVID-19 Contact Tracing According to Reuters, Uber has launched a service allowing public health officials access to data about drivers and passengers believed to have come in contact with COVID-19.

The service is offered free of charge in every country Uber operates.

According to NBC News, the United States currently has no federal program or mobile application for coronavirus contact tracing.

Health officials say ride-hailing data could prove to be very useful since it provides insight to a larger group of people outside the immediate social circle of an infected person.

Mieka Smart, epidemiology professor Public health departments can access data based on trip receipts or passenger names via the new portal.

According to NBC News, Lyft has also provided data to U.S. and Canadian health officials in the past, but hasn't given any more details due to privacy reasons.

Michael Reid, physician, via NBC News