The brand new coronavirus poses a complex puzzle to food delivery companies. The industry may want to boost patron demand, but COVID-19 batter the restaurants that supply the food and threaten the health of people who provide it.
A food delivery employee wearing a protective face mask rides a bike, as the Italian government continues restrictive movement measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak, in Milan, Italy March 14, 2020.
As employees are urged to work from home and colleges close in the country, areas that hard-hit early on by the U.S. outbreak show robust orders for food delivery. Customers are also cutting back on actual visits that are vital to restaurants' profitability.
ALSO READ: Officials Use Garbage Truck in Transferring Food to Wuhan Residents
Is it still safe to order food using delivery services?
Dr. Jeff Kwong, a scientist at Public Health Ontario and associate director of the Centre for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto, told Canadian site Global News ordering food through delivery services is still safe. Contactless delivery is "even better," Kwong added.
Global News also cited Stephen Hoption Cann, a clinical professor from the University of British Columbia, recommendation to ask what the restaurant's policy is on sick employees. "Most are ensuring sick employees do not come to work," said Hoption Cann.
The U.S. groups are taking steps to reassure clients that their services are safe. Several are permitting front-door drop-offs to restrict contact among drivers and purchasers.
In Seattle, restaurant income declined 10% in the week through March 1 as compared with a preceding four-week average, according to enterprise company Black Box Intelligence. To-cross sales at restaurants grew by using more than 10% for the duration of the same period.
Number of food delivery increases amid COVID-19
The coronavirus outbreak comes as food-transport corporations are in intense warfare for clients and restaurant partnerships, according to Wall Street.
Companies shuttling meals to customers' homes could benefit from coronavirus if they shore up diner loyalty as some restaurants remain open and inclined to supply for the duration of the disaster.
Nationwide spending on meal delivery in the U.S. shows a satisfactory weekly increase through February 24, market-studies corporation Edison Trends reported. Most restaurant chains didn't method that degree of increase, and a few skilled falling incomes, the corporation found.
It stays to be visible if clients shun food transport out of worry of any exposure to germs from the courier or meal.
"You can't control the delivery chain with food transport," said Jonathan Padilla, a 31-year-old Stanford University researcher focused on block chain.
Companies that pushed for the increase at all fees are now working to strengthen their finances. DoorDash confidentially filed for an initial public offering last month. Postmates is additionally considering a listing.
ALSO READ: Why This New Food Delivery Company Is Awesome and Uber-Guaranteed
Food delivery companies to compensate their drivers
Food-delivery groups separately risk alienating their gig-economic system drivers at a time that they want them the most. Companies are urging drivers to avoid working if they feel sick but face a problem. Without them, they can't supply orders. Many drivers are disturbing paid time off, so that they can live at home if they feel sick while not having to worry about paying the bills.
"We are exposed to this virus way more than anyone, yet we're denied any benefits," stated Mostafa Maklad, a 36-year-vintage who provides for offerings in San Francisco.
Uber and DoorDash have said they would compensate drivers infected or quarantined by a public-health company with up to fourteen days of missed payments. Uber, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates are one by one weighing banding together to set up a reimbursement fund for drivers. DoorDash said it is handing out gloves and hand sanitizers to its drivers. Postmates stated it might also assist clinical checkups for its drivers.
