New York (CNN Business) Uber said it will offer drivers and delivery people 14 days of paid sick leave if they fall ill with coronavirus or are placed in quarantine.

It's a change in policy for the ride-share service, which largely views such workers as independent contractors not eligible for benefits.

"We are supporting drivers and delivery people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed in quarantine by a public health authority," Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of Rides and Platform, said in a statement Saturday. "Drivers and delivery people in these situations will receive compensation for a period of up to 14 days. This has already begun in some markets and we are working to implement mechanisms to do this worldwide. We believe this is the right thing to do."

The company did not say how much money workers who need to take sick leave will receive.

The policy shift comes as coronavirus cases exceed 100,000 worldwide and continue to rise in the United States.

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