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Uber expands services to deliver goods, groceries during coronavirus pandemic

New services offered in areas hardest-hit by COVID-19 outbreak

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2019, file photo, a restaurant advertises Uber Eats in the Coconut Grove neighborhood in Miami. Some app-based delivery companies have announced hiring sprees to cope with a surge in orders from millions of people stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Uber has an internal app that helps its ride-hailing drivers find work for Uber Eats and other jobs. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) (Lynne Sladky, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Uber has started two new initiatives in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak expanding services to include grocery and package deliveries.

Uber Direct and Uber Connect are the latest projects to come from the ride-share company. Uber says its rethinking its services to focus on moving what matters as countries and states are placed under stay-at-home orders.

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From offering free rides to frontline health care workers and shipping personal protection equipment, the ride-share company is expanding its services under Uber Eats with Uber Direct, offering grocery and convenience store delivery.

A company spokesperson announced the initiative as a response to retailers and manufacturers around the world trying to introduce delivery to Uber. The feature allows shoppers to place orders from select nearby retailers and get items delivered to their doorstep with no contact.

The company is rolling out a pilot of this service in New York City with Cabinet, a company that offers over-the-counter medications through delivery. Similar initiatives are being adapted in Portugal with their mail service and with pet supplies in Australia. Uber Direct has found success in delivering medication to those most vulnerable for COVID-19 in South Africa, saying more than 25,000 people have received their prescriptions without leaving their homes.

As these initiatives evolve, the company plans to roll out similar features to other U.S. cities via its UberEats app.

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Uber Connect works to help users send packages to one another.

“We’re also seeing firsthand the importance of staying connected with loved ones of colleagues -- albeit from a distance,” a spokesperson said in a news release.

Uber Connect will allow users in select cities to send packages to family and friends through the Uber rideshare app.

“It’s a cost-effective same-day, no-contact delivery solution that keeps people feeling close, even when we’re apart,” a spokesperson wrote in a news release.

The company says whether it’s a care package, a board game or an extra-roll of much-needed toilet paper, users can send it to a nearby loved one by requesting “Uber Connect” if the option has been made available in its city. For now, 25 cities have the option as the company works to include more.

To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.


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