DoorDash stockpiled hand sanitizer and gloves for its delivery drivers, but it's only offering the supplies to a portion of them
DoorDash has stockpiled hand sanitizer and gloves for its deliver drivers to help keep them safe during the coronavirus outbreak.
So far, though, the company is only offering the supplies in just 400 of the 3,000 cities and towns in which it operates.
COVID-19 has now spread to 49 of the 50 states, and hand sanitizer, gloves, and similar supplies have become hard to find in many areas.
DoorDash is "working to expand" the number of areas in which it offers the sanitizer and gloves, a company representative said.
Mike Blake/Reuters
Even though DoorDash has stockpiled hand sanitizer and gloves for its delivery drivers to help protect them from the coronavirus pandemic, so far it's only made the supplies available to a portion of those workers.
The company was offering the sanitizer and gloves only to drivers in cities and towns that have seen the biggest effects from the COVID-19 outbreak, company spokeswoman Liz Jarvis-Shean told Business Insider. As of Saturday, it was offering the supplies in only around 400 cities and towns, she said.
DoorDash offers delivery in some 3,000 municipalities in North America.
"This is obviously an evolving situation," Jarvis-Shean said. She continued: "We're working to expand that [number] as the needs grow."
COVID-19 infections have been reported in every US state except for West Virginia, with particularly large outbreaks in New York, California, and Washington State. On Monday, in response to the epidemic, six counties in California's San Francisco Bay Area announced that they were ordering residents to shelter in place, barring people from most activities outside their home, including, for many, work. One of the few exceptions being made is for the delivery of food from restaurants.
As the pandemic has spread, many stores have sold out of hand sanitizer, gloves, and other products used to protect people or disinfect surfaces amid surging demand. Even hospitals and health care workers have had difficulties finding sufficient supplies of such products.
In an interview last week with Business Insider, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said his company had secured tens of thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and gloves for delivery drivers. The company is making the supplies available to couriers through a special store for them on its site for free except for the cost of shipping.
Thus far, though, it's only alerted drivers the 400 or so municipalities where it's distributing the products of their availability, Jarvis-Shean said.
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