The impact of the coronavirus is being felt around the world. But we know it’s especially concerning for anyone who relies on our platform to make a living. That’s why we’re working to make it as easy as possible for people who’ve historically driven with Uber to find new ways to earn by delivering food with Uber Eats.

Starting last week, Uber drivers in over a dozen US cities received in-app notifications with instructions on how to toggle between Driver and Delivery views in their Uber app—even if they haven’t delivered with Uber Eats before. So far, more than 15% of drivers who have received the message have already completed their first-ever Uber Eats deliveries. Based on demand for Uber Eats, we’ll be sending the same messages in more cities and countries in the coming weeks.

As a company, we are happy to be able to help support drivers with more earning opportunities during this unprecedented time. Uber Eats is one way we’re doing that, and we’ll continue to look for more.

While it’s too early to say what impact the coronavirus crisis will have on food delivery overall, we’re seeing signals that people are relying on delivery services more. The impact has varied widely city-by-city and country-by-country, but cities like Seattle and San Francisco have seen an uptick in food delivery requests on Uber Eats recently. In the US and Canada, we’ve also seen a significant increase in the number of restaurants looking to offer delivery as dine-in has been restricted—including a 10x increase in self-sign-ups. 

As always, the safety and well-being of everyone who uses Uber is our priority. We’re optimistic that, even in these turbulent times, people will find ways to earn across the Uber platform.