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Uber Suspends 240 User Accounts Over Coronavirus Fears

A suspected coronavirus carrier rode with two Uber drivers in Mexico last month, so those who rode with those drivers since have had their accounts temporarily frozen—even though Mexico does not have any confirmed cases of coronavirus.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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Uber has temporarily suspended 240 user accounts in Mexico as a precaution to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The 240 users rode with two Uber drivers who came in contact with a suspected coronavirus carrier, according to a statement Uber posted on Saturday on the company's Mexico Twitter account.

Uber took action after receiving a notice on Jan. 31 from the Ministry of Health of Mexico City, which requested information about the suspected coronavirus carrier and the two Uber drivers with whom the person rode.

According to a now deleted post from Mexico's Ministry of Health, the suspected carrier flew from Los Angeles to Mexico City on Jan. 20 and then booked an Uber to reach a Hilton hotel. Two days later, he took an Uber again to reach the airport to fly back to Los Angeles. US authorities then notified Mexico about the suspected coronavirus carrier about a week later.

In response, Uber has been notifying affected users about the coronavirus case, and the reason for the suspension. The two drivers have also had their accounts temporarily deactivated. "We will keep users and drivers informed with respect to any update of their accounts," Uber told Bloomberg.

So far, there's been no official case of coronavirus in Mexico. However, there's been 11 confirmed cases in the US, according to the Center for Disease Control. Uber hasn't commented on whether it'll suspend user accounts in the US.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus has spread to 14,441 confirmed cases in China, and resulted in 304 deaths, the World Health Organization said on Sunday. The ongoing outbreak has prompted Apple to close stores in the country and may threaten China's manufacturing output for TV and PC monitor display panels in the weeks ahead.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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