Shutterstock
Uber is introducing a new requirement to ensure riders are wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic. After previously requiring customers and drivers to wear masks, the ride-sharing app will enforce the rule by having riders take selfies as proof.
The app’s mask verification feature will be completely rolled out by the end of September.
“We firmly believe that accountability is a two-way street. That’s why we’re expanding the same technology to riders, too,” Uber said. “As with the driver mask verification tool, this technology detects the mask as an object in the photo and does not process biometric information.”
The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 5.72 million confirmed cases and 177,000 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
