Lyft leads coalition offering 60 million rides to and from COVID-19 vaccination sites
Lyft is not in the business of bringing medicine to customers, but they will be taking customers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
The ride-hailing company is offering 60 million free or discounted rides to and from coronavirus vaccination sites in uninsured, at-risk and low-income communities.
"Making sure people can get to vaccination sites when they need to is mission critical to beating this virus," Lyft Co-Founder and President John Zimmer said in a news release.
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According to Lyft 5.8 million Americans delay or miss medical care due to lack of transportation in a typical year.
That’s why they’ve partnered with JPMorgan Chase, Anthem Inc. and United Way to make sure the most marginalized communities aren’t lost in the scramble for the vaccine.
A sign for the Lyft ride share pick up area is seen Aug. 20, 2020 at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
"This is an opportunity to use our collective strength to mobilize on a massive scale and serve our communities. We cannot let lack of transportation be a factor in determining whether people have access to healthcare," Zimmer said.
Lyft is inviting further collaboration with businesses and the public. Corporations and non-profit organizations interested in joining the coalition can contact Lyft at supportlyftup@lyft.com.
The public can contribute by donating a ride through United Way.
RELATED: Uber pledges 10 million free or discounted rides for people seeking COVID-19 vaccination
Uber, Lyft’s ride-hailing competitor, has made a similar commitment, pledging to provide 10 million free or discounted rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites.
This story was reported from Atlanta.