Lyft to unveil health and safety program for riders, drivers

Lyft Inc. on Thursday announced a health and safety program for its drivers and riders in the next few weeks as some local governments begin to ease stay-at-home orders. The program will require that before using Lyft, riders and drivers will be required to wear face masks or covering throughout the ride, and will not ride if they have COVID-19, think they have it, or have related symptoms. Both will be required to keep vehicles clean and sanitize their hands frequently, and leave windows open when possible to avoid recirculated air. Passengers will not ride in the front seat. "We're setting the new standard for ride-sharing" in the age of COVID-19, Angie Westbrock, head of global operations of Lyft's Covid-19 Response Task Force, said in a conference call with reporters. Lyft revealed the guidelines a day after it announced better-than-expected revenue and net income for its fiscal first quarter, sending its shares up nearly 17%. The ride-hailing service said consumer rides plummeted 75% in April, year-over-year, but have improved slightly the past few weeks.

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