Covid-19 coronavirus: Uber Eats suspended due to lockdown

Kiwis will not be able to use Uber Eats during lockdown. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealanders will not be able to take a night off cooking during the lockdown.

Uber announced overnight that it had paused the use of the Uber Eats app in New Zealand due to the lockdown restrictions.

"With all restaurants and cafes across the country asked to close, we have temporarily suspended the Uber Eats app in New Zealand," a statement from the company said.

Under the Government's Level 4 restrictions, only a limited number of essential services are permitted to keep operating. Restaurants and cafes do not fall within this category.

Only supermarkets, pharmacies, clinics, petrol stations and lifeline utilities are allowed to operate under the current conditions.

Given the virulence of the Delta variant of Covid-19, the Government has also ordered the closure of all educational facilities.

Uber did, however, say that its ridesharing platform had been classified as an essential service and would remain online for those who need to travel.

"We will be rolling out messages in the Uber app to remind riders only to travel if they really need to and to exercise caution for their safety and the safety of our community," the company said.