Uber Technologies Inc. is diversifying during the present global pandemic crisis, announcing Wednesday that it’s vastly expanding its food delivery service, Uber Eats.

The company said Uber Eats will soon be available in 20 new countries, with the service starting in Brazil, Canada, France and the U.K. This is not the consumer-focused Uber Eats, but part of Uber for Business, which is a feature that allows employees to bill their companies more easily for Uber trips to the office.

The business part of the app was launched back in 2014, although Uber Eats only got off the ground in 2018. Uber said that it has been “fast-tracking” the Eats service of late. Not surprisingly, there has just been a massive spike in the use of the feature.

All over the world the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted or destroyed businesses, although a large number of companies have allowed their staff to work from home. Since people have not been traveling, Uber has reported losses in its taxi service, but the company said the demand for Uber for Business rose 28% during February and March.

The app is slightly different from the consumer-based food delivery app, in that companies can control when food is ordered and give employees certain allowances regarding their orders. Administrators might also designate the delivery location, which could be someone’s home or a hotel for when an employee is working on the road.

“We’ve made this move to respond to a surge of interest from companies looking to support employees who are working from home or who have limited food options on the road or in the field,” Uber said in a press release. “In addition to supporting employee productivity and social distancing, this expansion is seeking to help broaden the delivery marketplace for restaurants partnered with Uber Eats and ensure that they have access to higher volume, repeat orders.”

Uber is already partnering with a number of large businesses and the company has added some features in line with COVID-19 safety measures. People can now request that the food item is left at the door and Uber is supplying its drivers with hand sanitizing supplies. Uber is also asking restaurants to seal food in tamper-evident packaging.

Photo: Yuya Tamai/Flickr