With Halifax Regional Municipality experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 cases, it’s important to follow the measures put in place by the Medical Officer of Health to help contain the spread of COVID-19, including limiting travel for essential purposes only.

Where there is an essential travel need – like a trip to an early morning shift at the hospital or to pick up a prescription – Uber’s ridesharing app is now available, providing Haligonians with a safe, reliable, and affordable transportation alternative.

“Uber, a company that moves people, is asking you not to move.” said Matthew Price, General Manager of Uber Canada. “If your travel is essential, our app will be available for you to request a ride. If not, in line with public health guidance, please stay home.”

If essential travel is required, Uber has a number of safety policies in place:

  • No Mask. No Ride.:  With our ‘Go Online’ checklist, riders and drivers will have to confirm that they have taken certain steps to help stop the spread of COVID-19, including the confirmation that they are wearing a mask or face cover.  We’ve provided over 1.75m units of PPE to drivers and delivery people in Canada so far.
  • Mask Selfie Technology:  When they go online for the day, drivers must verify they are wearing a mask or face cover with our proprietary mask selfie technology.  And for riders who have been flagged as not wearing a mask, they too will be required to take a selfie at the start of every future trip. 
  • Contact Tracing:  Local public officials can request contact tracing support from Uber’s Law Enforcement and Public Safety Response Portal in response to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
  • Financial Assistance: Uber offers financial support to drivers who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been requested to quarantine by a medical professional or Public Health and whose accounts have been waitlisted. 
  • Driver Screening: All drivers undergo ongoing background check screening processes, both before they take their first trip and as they continue to drive with Uber.
  • Emergency Button: Riders and drivers can get assistance in urgent circumstances by calling 911 directly from the Uber app and sharing their GPS location and trip details with authorities.
  • 24/7 Safety Support: Whenever riders and drivers need help in an urgent safety situation, they can call Uber’s trained 24/7 support team directly through the app.
  • Phone Anonymization: To protect the privacy of riders and drivers, Uber’s technology conceals their phone number so they can call/text each other without seeing each other’s phone number.


During this challenging period, Uber Canada is also supporting frontline health care workers and families in need by providing 2,000 free rides through Partners for Care’s Helping Healthcare Heroes program and Ronald McDonald House Charities® Atlantic.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to play a small part in supporting the Helping Healthcare Heroes program and Ronald McDonald House Charities® Atlantic during these challenging times,” said Price, noting that these free rides build on Uber Canada’s MoveWhatMatters commitments from earlier this year.

Once restrictions have eased, Uber Canada looks forward to welcoming Haligonians onto the app to help with all their travel needs in addition to supporting the region’s recovery and growth.