MANILA, Philippines — Ride-sharing company Grab Philippines will be suspending its GrabShare services starting Friday (March 13) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In a statement from Grab’s Media Office on Thursday, the suspension will take effect on Friday at 12 noon to help in social distancing which is a precautionary measure against COVID-19.
“Grab will be suspending its GrabShare services in Metro Manila and Cebu starting March 13, 12NN, and will resume as soon as the public health situation de-escalates,” read the statement.
Other transport services will remain available for its commuters, Grab Philippines said.
Grab also reminded passengers to observe good personal hygiene and plan their trips ahead to help contain the spread of the disease.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the country has 49 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease. Of this number, there have been two fatalities already.
COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus which was first reported in Wuhan City in China’s Hubei province in late 2019.
The International on Taxonomy of Viruses has identified the new coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.
COVID-19 causes respiratory symptoms including fever, cough and colds but it can also cause serious illness such as pneumonia especially in older adults and people who are diagnosed with other health issues.
The coronavirus, a family of viruses, have surfaces with crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surface.