Uber said Thursday that it plans to ship ‘‘tens of millions’’ of face masks to its drivers and delivery people worldwide to help them stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ride-hailing company said that its first order of masks was shipped to drivers in New York on Tuesday, with nearly half a million more expected to be sent to US drivers in the cities hardest-hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

‘‘We've ordered tens of millions more masks and expect them to arrive in other cities and re...