Lyft San Francisco-Based Employees Told To Stay Home Over Coronavirus Fears

Lyft Inc. LYFT is asking its San Francisco staff to stay home after one employee reported coming in contact with someone who was exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

What Happened

A member of Lyft’s staff reported having been exposed to someone who was exposed to the coronavirus and has sought medical care, a Lyft spokesperson told TechCrunch. The employee has not yet exhibited any symptoms of infection. Following the incident, the ride-sharing company asked all its San Francisco employees to return home.

“We are basing every step of our response process on CDC guidance, and out of an abundance of caution are encouraging our San Francisco headquarters employees to work from home for the remainder of this week," the ride-hailing company said in a statement.

The company’s headquarters will undergo an “enhanced cleaning process overnight.” according to the company spokesperson.

Why It Matters

In light of the coronavirus, Lyft has made instructions available on their website for drivers and has warned both riders and drivers that it would not tolerate any discrimination. Meanwhile, rival Uber Technologies Inc. UBER has been instructing its drivers on sanitation techniques.

On Tuesday, Lyft’s CFO Brian Roberts speaking at the KeyBanc Capital Markets 15th Annual Emerging Technology Summit in San Francisco claimed that ride-sharing demand remained “extremely strong.”

Tech companies have been hit hard by the coronavirus. Alphabet Inc.GOOGL GOOG-owned Google, Amazon Inc., AMZN and Twitter Inc. TWTR all announced travel restrictions for their employees and asked them to work from home whenever possible. 

Price Action

Lyft shares traded 0.70% higher at $37.34 in the after-hours session on Thursday. The shares had closed the regular session 7.92% lower at $37.08.