Uber Eats waives delivery fees for orders from independent restaurants

Uber Eats announced Monday that it will waive delivery fees for independently owned restaurants amid the worsening coronavirus outbreak.

“As more people stay home, local restaurants need your business more than ever. That’s why we’re waiving the Delivery Fee for all orders from every independent restaurant on Uber Eats—more than 100,000 local restaurants on the app,” the company said in a statement. “Delivery Fees will be automatically waived on all applicable orders, which we hope will make eating from your local favorites even easier.”

The service is also stepping up contactless deliveries, allowing customers to have food delivered on their doorstep and pledging more than 300,000 free meals to first responders and health care personnel in the U.S. and Canada. It also reminded customers to tip well amid the outbreak.

The move comes as numerous jurisdictions have severely restricted or curtailed restaurant or bar service amid the outbreak as health officials call for “social distancing.”

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut all announced the closure of most restaurants and entertainment venues Monday, while a report from OpenTable indicated dining out is down 42 percent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended against gatherings of 50 people or more for public gatherings during the next eight weeks.