High Wycome

The death of a sixth Uber driver linked to coronavirus has prompted urgent calls for minicabs to be properly equipped with PPE.

Father-of-four Zahid Pervaiz, 65, is the latest to die after picking up a passenger he believed was infected by the killer disease.

Mr Pervaiz, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, died in intensive care last Friday and had saved all his life for a trip to Mecca which he was due to take next month.

His death came a day after 27-year-old Zeeshan Ahmed, whose death is also being linked to the virus.

Mert Dogus, whose 49-year-old father Haci Ali Dogus died at the end of March, said: 'I 100 per cent believe drivers need PPE or they need help from the Government. 

'If they can’t have PPE, then they should stop driving. There is this problem with not enough PPE being available for NHS workers, but cab drivers need them too.'

Mr Dogus, from Hackney, worked six days a week. Mert said his father was convinced he contracted the virus after regularly picking up passengers from Heathrow. 

‘In their cars they can’t be two meters away and they are in a confined space,' he added.

‘But if they get ill then they have to be treated by the NHS workers anyway. The PPE might prevent all this... It is a huge dilemma.’

Yaseen Asleem, head of the United Private Hire Drivers association whose organisation represents drivers in eight cities, said PPE would save lives.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8248543/Sixth-Uber-driver-death-linked-coronavirus-prompt-urgent-calls-minicabs-issued-PPE.html