Takeaway.com: 'No-touch' delivery in response to coronavirus

(Reuters) - Just Eat Takeaway (JET), Europe's largest online food ordering and delivery company, said on Friday its Takeaway subsidiary would begin dropping orders at the door as a precautionary measure in light of the global coronavirus outbreak.

The move follows similar steps taken by competitors in China and the United States.

The company "provides delivery without physical contact as of today," it said.

"This new measure is applicable to all restaurants on the platform and the delivery couriers are being instructed to ring customers' doorbell and leave the delivery bag at the door."

The measure goes into effect throughout Europe as of Friday, Takeaway said.

The company said it had distributed antibacterial hand sanitizers to staff and is working with restaurants to ensure other health and safety measures are in place.

It was not clear whether the measures would also apply to the operations of Just Eat - the UK-based competitor that Takeaway acquired in January - as British competition regulators are still reviewing the deal and the companies are being operated separately pending final approval.

A Takeaway spokesman said that as of Tuesday the company had not seen a meaningful impact either positively or negatively on sales as a result of the virus.

The Dutch government banned large public gatherings and issued instructions for workers who can do so to remain at home on Thursday.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Tom Hogue)