NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Uber wants its drivers to be among the first in New York to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
CEO Dara Dara Khosrowshahi has written a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking him to "recognize the essential nature of their work."
"Public health experts have recognized that rideshare drivers and food delivery people, including the 213,655 in New York who have earned money on the Uber platform during the pandemic, should, as frontline workers, receive prioritized access to the vaccine in Phase 1b," Khosrowshahi wrote. "Over the last nine months, these workers have been a lifeline to their communities."
The CDC has recommended that non-healthcare essential workers be vaccinated in Phase 1b.
As New York finalizes its distribution plans, Khosrowshahi said she wants to ensure Uber drivers get the immunizations "quickly, easily and for free."
Khosrowshahi said Uber can help spread information and awareness about the vaccine and also assist in removing "transportation barriers" faced by those who will need to travel to their vaccination appointments.
"My earnest hope is that Uber can continue to be a resource for the people of your state in the coming months," Khosrowshahi wrote. "Together, I hope we can use our technology to accelerate the end of this public health crisis and the beginning of the economic recovery to come."
Cuomo on Wednesday announced New York will receive 170,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as soon as this weekend.
He said the state’s definitive plan is to vaccinate nursing home residents first, followed by nursing home staff and high-risk hospital workers.