RIDEGURU
I was informed I was flagged as a "Covid" rider and I don't know what that means. I've always worn a mask and have never done anything unsafe. Can someone tell me exactly what this means?
Flagged as a Covid rider?
Posted 4 years, 2 months ago
Posted By
grace15
25
Rider
Ride Apprentice
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Comments
It must be this:
Uber, Lyft drivers and riders exposed to coronavirus may be blocked from using the services
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-uber-lyft-drivers-riders-could-have-accounts-suspended/#app
The policy also applies to those who may have been exposed to Covid. When they’re notified of a positive case, they look at the history and identify who else may have been exposed.
Thank you for the link. This was helpful but what I don't understand is how I got flagged. I'm not aware that I've ever been exposed to Covid. If Uber has somehow contact-traced me to some sort of high risk event I would think they would notify me?
A scenario I heard goes as follows. It’s a part of contact tracing:
- Uber is notified of a positive case from one of their drivers
- They pull up the list of rides that driver has given They probably use a date range that makes sense to the timing
- They mark those riders as “exposed” to notify future drivers
- They leave the label on until certain time has passed.
I don’t think they can lightly share the details (i.e. which ride), because they maybe exposing drivers’ private medical information.
Thank you. That's helpful and all makes sense except for the part where I wasn't informed I was exposed. That seems like something I should know, yes?
Absolutely yes.
Guilty before proven guilty. Suspected exposure gets you potentially suspended?
I wonder how many degrees of exposure they will apply this to
Hopefully, and I assume, one. Considering how many contacts drivers have, two or more degrees can be significant.
Well, not really. So the first degree is the driver (with Covid-19) to the riders. The second degree would be the riders to the drivers. This second hop may not be that much. I mean, how many rides do each person get in a few days?
Gosh, that'd suck for a driver that gets dinged on that second degree. Drive a passenger with no symptoms and no virus, and you still get suspended or labeled?
Strange, according to this article you would probably be flagged because you didn't wear a mask but if you have always worn a mask then I don't know why a driver would flag you?!
https://www.uber.com/en-CA/blog/your-safety-during-the-new-normal/
Did you have any drivers cancel on your recently? Maybe some driver just wanted to cancel the ride and put "unsafe covid" as the reason? 😕
I heard from a driver that the flag will be cleared after 14 days from the potential exposure. No idea if this is true or if this driver was a know-it-all.
Thank you for your response. In the meantime I'm sitting at home not going to work while waiting for an answer from Uber support as to exactly what happened. I work with extremely vulnerable populations and if I've been exposed, it is critical that I know what happened. I don't want to make too many assumptions before I get an answer from Uber but if I was contact traced, I feel like it would be Uber's responsibility to notify me officially. If not, what's the point of contact tracing in the first place?
I feel you, but the contact tracing is already working as the subsequent drivers are notified of your exposure, right. I suppose they did skip you though. You should know for the people you are in contact with. (family and friends)
I don't know if Uber has the legal responsibility to notify you.
I don't pretend to know the law here. But I feel strongly that they had the ethical obligation to notify me. I don't care which driver it was but just a notification that I was potentially exposed would (and has now) dramatically impacted my behavior. As I said before, I am in daily contact with highly vulnerable populations who are immunocompromised. This goes beyond just family and friends. Also, I don't understand why they won't simply answer the question of what that flag even means. I've asked 3 times now and gotten silence in return. So, I went and got a test today out of an abundance of caution and I'm self-isolating while I wait for results. This may seem overkill but in the absense of any answer from Uber it seemed the responsible thing to to.
What does that mean? Are you now not able to request rides? Or is it that the drivers get informed?
We are all already mandated to wear masks, so I’m curious what restrictions come with the scarlet letter.
I have no idea, which is why I'm posting. I was just told this last night. The driver picked me up and he told me I was flagged but he didn't seem to know what it meant either.
So the driver still picked you up? That’s strange.
At least you had a cool river. I guess it prepares the driver.
I feel like the passenger should also be notified of their drivers’ conditions.
This is all a big witch hunt now.
Soon, people who gave rides to Covid positive passengers to have a label, “exposed to Covid.” then on and on. I mean, isn’t that what those Google apps are supposed to do in the name tracing the disease?
When will this end.
I finally got a response from Uber. My question was simply what does it mean to be flagged in their system? Here was my response:
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The safety and well-being of everyone who uses Uber is always our priority. We are actively monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and are following the guidance of public health organizations.
If you have more questions or concerns about your health status, we recommend you contact your local Department of Public Health office or licensed medical professional"
Thoughs? Am I wrong to think that people who are traced/flagged have the right to know? Maybe I'm overreacting but this seems like a public health risk to me.
I sent them a direct message on Facebook asking if they can explain. I'll keep this thread posted if they respond.
They replied (or a bot replied, I'm not sure which) saying they have escalated the issue to the "appropriate team". In the meantime, I have no idea whether to go to work in the morning. Right now I'm guessing no.
Hey, I sent this thread to Uber on twitter as well! Here is what they have said so far, so that helpful. I will also update you if the respond to my further questioning.
"Here to help. Before every trip, drivers will be asked to confirm that they've taken specific steps to prioritize safety, including wearing a face cover or mask. You may refer to this link https://ubr.to/34oSPc2 for more information."
Thanks, nothing on my end. They have gone silent.
Looks like I have hit a dead end too. They said to send them a private message with your phone number/email that is associated with your Uber account. I am happy to send that over for you if you would like? Feel free to reach out to my email, [email protected]
Thanks for the offer and your efforts Lilly,
I did that already and got a form letter response this morning (reposting from above) which got me no answers.
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The safety and well-being of everyone who uses Uber is always our priority. We are actively monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and are following the guidance of public health organizations.
If you have more questions or concerns about your health status, we recommend you contact your local Department of Public Health office or licensed medical professional"
I'll try another way.
Appreciate the assist.
Is that you donald?
Who told you that? A driver?
yes
What?!! How were you informed? And by Uber?
Can you post the message here? Oh, man what a nightmare, if you aren’t Covid positive.
I was just told verbally by my driver last night that it was showing in his app. I looked on the Uber website but couldn't seem to find a way to contact them to ask. So far it hasn't impacted me but I don't know when exactly I was flagged.