Lyft to install coronavirus sneeze guards in driver cars
Rideshare company is providing partitions to protects its drivers, riders from COVID-19
Plastic sneeze guards aren’t just making it onto cash registers, Lyft drivers are getting these pieces of protective equipment installed in their cars free of charge.
The rideshare company announced on Friday that its drivers will receive vehicle partitions in the coming months per the CDC’s recommendations for coronavirus safety.
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“Our community is counting on us to put their health and safety first,” said Lyft VP of Global Operations Angie Westbrock, who is also the head of company’s COVID-19 response task force. “By prioritizing the wellbeing of our drivers, our entire community gains extra peace of mind. We're setting the bar for health and safety in rideshare and will continue to expand our programs and products to continue raising that bar.”
Some Lyft drivers already received partition installations as of early July and have been operating with the heightened safety measure.
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The company has also rolled out partitions in its Express Drive rental program vehicles in Atlanta, Denver and Baltimore. Lyft will extend its partition initiative to its fleet of rental vehicles in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Phoenix, Dallas and New York City.
In total, Lyft aims to install partitions in 60,000 vehicles throughout the next few months. Current plans show that Lyft will attempt to launch its partition program in 30 regions.
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Lyft will also start selling its partitions on its new online store, so drivers can purchase to the physical shield and other critical pieces of personal protective equipment that are meant to ward off potential coronavirus infection.
This latest safety measure comes at a time when new coronavirus cases are spiking in select states.
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So far, more than 3.6 million Americans have been infected with the respiratory illness since late January, according to data from the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard.
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Prior to its current partition program, Lyft and other ridesharing companies have implemented coronavirus safety measures to protect its drivers and customers, including mandatory face coverings and health disclosures before and during rides.