Carrier Status Updates Amid COVID-19

The following provides information regarding the functions being performed by the mailing and printing industry in support of the essential government services being provided by the United States Postal Service to the American people.

The Postal Service’s provision of postal services throughout the United States is not affected by State and local government actions that are restricting commercial and personal activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Postal Service is an entity of the Federal Government, and the provision of postal services to the American people is designated as an essential function under federal law during times of emergency. The postal system is used to deliver, among other things, important governmental information and benefits, mail that is essential to the functioning of our economy, elections materials, and packages containing vital necessities, including medicines and other goods, and is a part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

Postal and shipping workers, including those in the private sector, are also considered essential critical infrastructure workers under recent guidance issued by the Department of Homeland Security. White House and CDC guidance has also stated that such industries have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules.

The functioning of the postal system depends critically on the mailing and printing industry. Members of the mailing and printing industry work with the public and private sector to create, print, and enter essential mail into the postal system. The industry also serves a vital role in ensuring that packages are able to be efficiently shipped from sender to recipient.

Therefore, the Postal Service considers that the continued operations of the mailing and printing industry in enabling the delivery of critical mail and packages is vital to the Postal Service’s continued performance of its essential functions.

Expected Delivery Changes for Priority Mail and First-Class Package Services

U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail products and First-Class packages may require more time to be delivered due to limited transportation availability as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) impacts to the United States.

The Postal Service’s flagship Priority Mail Express service, which guarantees overnight service, will not change.

Service commitments for local 1-day Priority Mail will not change.

Priority Mail’s two and three day service commitments now will be extended to three and four days respectively. Customers will continue to receive end-to-end visibility and improved product tracking, as well as up to $50 in free insurance.

With the extra day extension, customers should expect delivery using Priority Mail Open and Distribute (PMOD) to range from two to four days nationwide.

First-Class Package Service (FCPS) two and three day service commitments will also be extended to three and four days respectively.

Global Express Guaranteed Services also have been altered. For a full list of international and domestic updates, refer to usps.com.

The Postal Service™ will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective April 24, 2020, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to destinations where the foreign postal operator has indicated that they are unable to process or deliver international mail or services originating from the United States.

Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to the following countries, until further notice:

•       Dominican Republic

In addition, effective April 24, 2020, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to destinations where transportation is unavailable due to widespread cancellations and restrictions into the area.

Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to the following countries, until further notice:

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

For inbound mail deliveries, letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items will be handled as follows:

Items requiring signature on delivery will no longer be signed at the moment of handover to the recipient, for health, safety and security reasons. Instead, the postman will ask for the recipient’s name and will enter this information in the signature field of the handheld device or delivery manifest. This temporary measure came into force from Monday, 16 March 2020 and remains in effect until further notice. For delivery of items to a mail room, the addressee will receive a text message or telephone call. Deliveries to premises or areas needing to be closed down due to COVID-19 are suspended.

As a result of ongoing concerns due to the Coronavirus, the U.S. Postal Service has created the following sites and email addresses to assist customers. To receive updated information and to find answers to your questions, here is a listing of available sites:             

• PostalPro – Updated Information: https://postalpro.usps.com
• Business Mail Entry Unit – FAQs, Announcements, Applications and Forms: https://postalpro.usps.com/bme-covid-19
• USPS Service Alerts – Continuity of Operations Updates:  https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts
• USPS for business customers – FAQs specific to the Coronavirus situation and Postal Service™ continuity can be found here: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/USPS-Coronavirus-Updates-for-Business-Customers
• Updated Information at USPS.com: https://www.usps.com
• Residential Service disruptions:  https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/residential/welcome.htm
• International Service disruptions:  https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

The following helpdesks are operating under contingency.  To expedite assistance, you may opt to send an email to the following helpdesks:

• PostalOne!: PostalOne@usps.gov
• FAST: FAST@usps.gov
• eVS: Evs@usps.gov
• Delivery Confirmation: Delivery.Confirmation@usps.gov
• Informed Visibility: InformedVisibility@usps.gov

If you are not receiving the USPS Industry Alerts, you can sign-up by sending an email to:  IndustryAlert@usps.gov (Not the same as PCC Alerts).  In the subject line, type:  Add me to Industry Alerts and include your First Name and Last Name. 

If you do not have a USPS Representative that currently assists you with your business needs, and you cannot find an answer to your question in either the PostalPro or USPS.com site, send an email to:  IndustryFeedback@usps.gov

The Postal Service™ will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective May 22, 2020, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to destinations where the foreign postal operator has indicated that they are unable to process or deliver international mail or services originating from the United States.

Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to the following country, until further notice:

• Turkmenistan

In addition, effective May 22, 2020, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to destinations where transportation is unavailable due to widespread cancellations and restrictions into the area.

Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to the following countries, until further notice:

• Brunei

• Cambodia
• Uzbekistan

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

For already deposited items, other than Global Express Guarantee® (GXG®), Postal Service employees will endorse the items as “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender” and then place them in the mail stream for return.

Due to COVID-19, international shipping has been suspended to many countries.  According to DMM 604.9.2.3, customers are entitled to a full refund of their postage costs when service to the country of destination is suspended.

The detailed procedures to obtain refunds for Retail Postage, eVS, PC Postage, and BMEU entered mail can be found through the following link: https://postalpro.usps.com/international-refunds.

INTERNATIONAL MAIL SERVICE SUSPENSIONS

The Postal Service™ is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customers: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the countries listed here, until further notice.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

Global Express Guaranteed® Service Suspensions and Disruptions

Effective May 19, 2020, the Postal Service is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance of Global Express Guarantee® (GXG®) to the following destinations:

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

Customers: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the countries listed here, until further notice.

Please see the following advance notification of resumption of acceptance of mail to nine countries, effective Friday, May 22, 2020.
 
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE RESUMPTION NOTICE – effective May 22, 2020
 
Effective May 22, 2020, the Postal Service™ will resume acceptance of mail destined to the following countries:·        Antigua and Barbuda
·        Aruba
·        Barbados
·        Belize
·        Colombia
·        Jamaica
·        New Caledonia
·        Nicaragua
·        Trinidad and Tobago

These service resumptions affect the following mail classes: Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.The Postal Service is closely monitoring service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to update customers until the situation returns to normal.

Effective May 22, 2020, the Postal Service™ will resume acceptance of mail destined to the following countries:

• Antigua and Barbuda

• Aruba

• Barbados

• Belize

• Colombia

• Jamaica

• New Caledonia

• Nicaragua

• Trinidad and Tobago

These service resumptions affect the following mail classes: Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The Postal Service is closely monitoring these service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to update customers until the situations return to normal.  Please visit our International Service Alerts page for the most up to date information: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/?utm_source=residential&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=res_to_intl.

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS

Military & Diplomatic Mail (APO/FPO/DPO) Service Disruptions

On April 8, 2020, the Department of State notified the Postal Service that effective April 9, 2020 through June 4, 2020 diplomatic mail (DPO) is temporarily suspended to the ZIP Codes™ listed here. We ask customers to refrain from entering items addressed to these destinations, until further notice.

Customers: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the following countries, until further notice.

On May 19, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from La Poste de Djibouti S.A., the designated postal operator of Djibouti, advising that in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, effective immediately a signature is no longer required upon delivery and items normally requiring a signature will be delivered using methods that minimize direct contact.

This service disruption affects Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

On May 18, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

•  Maldives UPDATE: Maldives Post has advised that they are extending the suspension of all postal operations until May 28, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course. Therefore, all previously announced measures, including force majeure, continue to apply.
• Nepal UPDATE:  Nepal Post has advised that the suspension of all postal operations has been extended until June 2, 2020.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and DMM Advisories are available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com)

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE IMPACT

ALTERNATE TRANSPORT: THIRD AIR TO SEA DIVERSION IN EFFECT

On May 15, 2020, a third sea transport departed with volume from the Chicago, JFK, and Miami International Service Centers and is estimated to arrive at the Rotterdam (Netherlands) port on June 9, 2020. Sea route arrival dates are not exact and may vary depending on weather related events and queuing at port of arrival. The vessel is carrying 24,013 receptacles in twenty-two (22) containers weighing 143,807 kilograms. It is serving mail destined to:

When calculating estimated delivery times, additional days required for unloading, customs clearance and road transit should be considered. The table below outlines a typical sea transit delivery cycle that begins upon arrival to the destined port:

This transportation alternative will be used for the following mail classes: Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

Alternate transit options will remain in effect until sufficient air transportation capacity becomes available.

The Postal Service is closely monitoring service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to update customers until the situation returns to normal.

Please visit our International Service Alerts page for the most up to date information: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/?utm_source=residential&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=res_to_intl

The Postal Service™ is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to update customers until the situation returns to normal. Please visit our International Service Alerts page for the most up to date information: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/?utm_source=residential&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=res_to_intl

On May 13, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from Correos y Telégrafos, the designated postal operator of Spain, advising that the Spanish Government has extended the state of alert until May 24, 2020. As a result, Correos y Telégrafos is unable to guarantee compliance with delivery standards for items requiring signature and major impacts on processing and distribution of all international mail should be expected until the situation returns to normal.

This service disruption affects Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Estonia
• Moldova
• Montenegro

On May 12, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from bpost, the designated postal operator of Belgium, advising that effective May 12, 2020, it is able to send letter-post and parcel-post items to certain destinations, including the United States of America. Owing to limited transportation, bpost is still not able to guarantee delivery standards, therefore force majeure continues.

This service disruption affects Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

On May 11, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Latvia UPDATE: Latvijas Pasts has advised that the Latvian Government has extended the state of emergency until at least June 9, 2020. Therefore, the situation of force majeure declared by Latvijas Pasts remains in effect and all previous announcements including no guarantee of service delivery standards and significant delays continue to apply until further notice.
• Peru UPDATE: Servicios Postales del Perú – SERPOST S.A, has advised that due to the Peruvian Government decision to extend the state of emergency until May 24, 2020, the suspension of all postal operations remains in effect until that date.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On May 8, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• France UPDATE: La Poste has advised that the French Government has extended the measures aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19 until July 10, 2020. La Poste is affected by these measures and cannot guarantee meeting normal delivery times in certain regions. Additionally, La Poste requests to avoid mailing large or heavy parcels exceeding 33 lbs (15 kg) or larger than 12.5 x 9.4 x 9.4 inches (32 cm x 24 cm x 24 cm) until the situation returns to normal.
• Russian Federation UPDATE: Russian Post has advised that, owing to the measures taken by the Russian government to limit the spread of COVID-19, air connections between the Russian Federation and other countries have been significantly reduced, thus resulting in continued service delays.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On May 7, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from Liechtensteinische Post, the designated postal operator of Liechtenstein, advising that effective May 11, 2020, delivery of registered letters and parcels will require the addressee’s signature or at the addressee’s option, the deliverer’s signature. If the customer is not at home to sign, the item will be delivered to the relevant postal branch as usual.

On May 6, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Sri Lanka UPDATE: Department of Posts has advised that the previously announced service suspension and declared force majeure remain in effect until further notice.
• United Kingdom UPDATE: Royal Mail Group has advised that, due to staffing issues, effective May 9, it will suspend Saturday delivery of untracked letters and small packets and will deliver these items Monday to Friday as normal.
• Zimbabwe UPDATE: Zimbabwe Posts (Pvt) Ltd (Zimpost) has advised that international service suspension remains in effect until May 17, 2020.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

• Israel

On May 5, 2020, the Department of Defense notified the Postal Service™ that effective May 7, 2020, the temporary service suspension to the DPO ZIP codes listed below will be LIFTED:

Additionally, on May 5, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Honduras UPDATE: Empresa de Correos de Honduras (Honducor) has advised that it has extended the suspension of postal services until May 17, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course.
• Rwanda UPDATE: The National Postal Corporation (Iposita) has advised that due to the continuation of the prohibition of passenger flights to and from Rwanda, service suspension remains until further notice.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

On May 4, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Mauritius UPDATE: Mauritius Post has advised that they are extending the suspension of mail service until June 1, 2020. Therefore, all previously announced measures, including force majeure, continue to apply.
• Maldives UPDATE: Maldives Post has advised that they are extending the suspension of all postal operations until May 14, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course. Therefore, all previously announced measures, including force majeure, continue to apply.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

COVID-19 Assessment Mitigation Policy for Mailers

In the event planned mailings have been or will be held due to COVID-19 impacts, the USPS will work to mitigate specific scorecard metrics that may have resulted in assessments for the months of February, March, April, May and June of 2020.  Impacted mailers should follow the contingency plan exception request outlined in the COVID-19 Business Mail Entry Facility Contingency Plan for Mailers and located on PostalPro.

All mailings that have been placed on hold due to COVID-19 should be mailed no later than June 30, 2020.  Any mailings entered after this date will be verified under the established assessment process for each metric with the expectation they are compliant with all mailer quality metrics.

For the months of February 2020 through June 2020 the Postal Service may waive any assessments resulting on the Mailer Scorecard due to COVID-19. Mailers will request an exception during the review process and provide any supporting documentation to the local Business Mail Entry Manager to start the process.  The Streamlined Mail Entry program metrics that may result in assessments requiring mitigation are listed below:

Full Service

•       Barcode uniqueness

Move Update

•       Move Update

Seamless

•       Delivery Point Validation (DPV)
•       Undocumented

eInduction

•       Misshipped
•       Undocumented
•       Zone
•       Entry Point Discount (EPD)

The Postal Service is exploring an option to automatically place Streamlined Mail Entry program assessments into a Review Request status for mailers with an approved COVID-19 mailing exception. This will allow the USPS to take errors logged on mailings that were delayed to COVID-19, into consideration.

On May 1, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from Ukrposhta, the designated postal operator of Ukraine, advising that the state of emergency has been extended until May 11, 2020. Therefore, all previously announced measures, including force majeure, continue to apply.

This service disruption affects Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

Following is the complete list of the 112 countries for which there is a temporary suspension of international mail acceptance due to service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic as of Friday, May 1, 2020:

On April 30, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from Slovenska Pošta, the designated postal operator Slovakia, advising that effective April 23, 2020, collection of signature on delivery has resumed. Deliveries will not be made to customers who are quarantined. Effective May 1, 2020, standard collection arrangements will resume, but with a collection period of 18 calendar days. If it is not possible to deliver the item owing to quarantine measures, it will be returned to the sender with reason for return indicated as “quarantine”.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

On April 29, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• British Virgin Islands: BVI Post has advised that the Government of the Virgin Islands has suspended all inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items until further notice. As a result of this suspension, BVI Post is declaring a situation of force majeure. 
• Honduras UPDATE: Empresa de Correos de Honduras (Honducor) has advised that they are extending the suspension of mail services until May 3, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course.
• Kuwait UPDATE: Kuwait Postal Sector has extended the suspension of all inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items until June 1, 2020. Therefore, the previously declared force majeure is extended until June 1, 2020. 

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

The following country has announced service disruptions:

• Italy UPDATE: Poste Italiane has advised that the Italian Government has extended the measures aimed at minimizing the spread of COVID-19 until further notice. This includes the suspension of signature service and service standards; limitations on the size and weight of parcels; and changes to the number of delivery attempts that will be made before a package is returned to sender.
• Poland UPDATE: Poczta Polska has advised that effective April 21, 2020 and until further notice, new procedures will be used for registered items and items that require a signature on delivery. Registered items that do not require proof of delivery will be placed in the recipient’s mailbox. If the mailer refuses to sign for the items that would normally require a signature, the mail carrier will record the last four digits from the ID document, as well as the type of ID and the exact name of the receiver. The force majeure that was previously announced is still effective and mailers should continue to expect delays.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

On April 28, 2020, the Postal Service received notification from CN Poșta Română SA, the designated operator for Romania, advising that the President of Romania has extended the state of emergency until May 14, 2020. Therefore, the previously declared force majeure remains in effect. Delays are to be expected for all types of inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items until the end of the state of emergency.

This service disruption affects Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE IMPACT

ALTERNATE TRANSPORT: SECOND AIR TO SEA DIVERSION in Effect

On April 27, 2020, a second sea transport departed with volume from the Chicago, JFK, and Miami International Service Centers and is estimated to arrive at the Rotterdam (Netherlands) port on May 15, 2020.  Sea route arrival dates are not exact and may vary depending on weather related events and queuing at port of arrival.  The vessel is carrying 6,382 receptacles in six (6) containers weighing 33,593 kilograms. It is serving mail destined to:

When calculating estimated delivery times, additional days required for unloading, customs clearance and road transit should be considered. The table below outlines a typical sea transit delivery cycle that begins upon arrival to the destined port:

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

Alternate transit options will remain in effect until sufficient air transportation capacity becomes available.

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

Handling mail for temporarily closed businesses — Hold Mail extended through May 30, 2020

The Postal Service is committed to assisting businesses impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

For business customers, temporary modifications continue to be implemented on how mail is handled that must be returned to the delivery office due to a full box or a business not being open to receive delivery for an extended period.  Current postal policy during the pandemic is to return the mail to the delivery office and hold it until April 30, 2020.  In order to further accommodate businesses during this challenging time, this deadline is now being extended into a longer hold period through May 30, 2020.  In addition, there will be a 15-day grace period following May 30, 2020, before mail items are returned to the sender.

Once the business reopens, delivery should immediately resume unless other arrangements have been made.  Business customers may request to have their held mail delivered or they can pick it up at their local Post Office.  If a business fails to make alternative delivery arrangements or does not submit a request to hold or forward its mail after May 30 and the 15-day grace period, the process of returning mail to the sender will resume. 

Business owners with held mail may be contacted by postal management to discuss alternative options.

Assistance will be extended as necessary to businesses who make contact after May 30, 2020, to ensure the cancellation of Moved Left No Address Orders and to immediately resume delivery.

On April 27, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Nepal UPDATE: Nepal Post has advised that the suspension of all postal operations has been extended until May 15, 2020.
• Peru UPDATE: Servicios Postales del Perú – SERPOST S.A, has advised that the suspension of all postal operations has been extended until May 10, 2020.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Albania: Albanian Post advises that the Government of Albania has extended the state of emergency until June 26, 2020. As a result, Albanian Post is declaring a situation of force majeure with regard to all letter-post and parcel-post items. Customers should expect delivery delays for all items destined to Albania. Furthermore, Albanian Post has ceased to accept EMS items within its network, and letter-post and parcel-post items will be accepted only for those destinations where transport capacity is available.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

International Service Impact: Alternate Transport – Air to Sea Diversion in Effect

Effective April 20, 2020, the Postal Service™ will utilize sea transportation to address the issue of limited air transportation resulting from widespread flight cancellations and restrictions due to COVID-19. This option will remain in effect until sufficient air transportation capacity becomes available.

The first sea transport departed from the JFK International Service Center on April 20, 2020, and is estimated to arrive at the Rotterdam (Netherlands) port on May 7, 2020. Sea route arrival dates are not exact and may vary depending on weather related events and queuing at port of arrival. The vessel is carrying 6,036 receptacles in 5 containers weighing 32,768 kilograms. It is serving mail destined to:

On April 22, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Australia UPDATE: Australia Post has advised that they are declaring a situation of force majeure for all inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items until further notice. Customers should expect delivery delays.
• Georgia UPDATE: Georgian Post has advised that the Government of Georgia has extended the measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 until May 22, 2020. The declaration of force majeure therefore remains in effect and unchanged. Customers should expect delays for inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel post and EMS items.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On April 21, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following country has suspended certain mail services:

• Honduras UPDATE: Empresa de Correos de Honduras (Honducor) has advised that they are extending the suspension of mail services until April 26, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

The following country has announced service disruptions:

• Spain UPDATE: Correos y Telégrafos has advised that the Spanish Government has extended the state of alert until May 10, 2020. As a result, major impacts on processing and distribution of all international mail should be expected until the situation returns to normal.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On April 20, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Cayman Islands UPDATE: The Cayman Islands Postal Service has advised that the suspension of all postal operations has been extended until May 4, 2020.  
• Curaçao UPDATE: Cpost International N.V. has advised that the suspension of all postal operations has been extended until April 27, 2020.
• France UPDATE: La Poste has advised that the French Government has extended the measures aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19 until May 11, 2020. As previously advised, La Poste has suspended the following services; signature on delivery, International Surface Airlift (ISAL), M-bags, returns, and International Business Reply Service (IBRS). Additionally, items weighing less than 33 lbs (15 kg) and with a maximum package size of 12.5 x 9.4 x 9.4 inches (32 cm x 24 cm x 24 cm) will be delivered by its commercial network. All other packages will be subject to delayed service.
• Maldives UPDATE: Maldives Post has advised that the suspension of all postal operations has been extended until May 3, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course.
• Rwanda UPDATE: The National Postal Corporation (Iposita) has advised that the suspension of all postal operations has been extended until April 30, 2020.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Jordan: Jordan Post Company has advised that, owing to measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19, its ability to send outbound letter and parcel mail is currently limited to items for Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab ‎Emirates and the United Kingdom only. Express Mail Service (EMS) is available internationally to all destinations other than India. Additionally, all items destined to Jordan are being sanitized, and no signatures are being required for letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items.
• Portugal UPDATE: CTT Correios de Portugal has advised that the Portuguese Government has extended the measures aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19 until May 2, 2020. This includes changes for items that require signature on delivery and declaration of force majeure. Mailers should expect delivery delays. 

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

Expected Delivery Changes for Priority Mail and First-Class Package Services

U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail products and First-Class packages may require more time to be delivered due to limited transportation availability as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) impacts to the United States.

Effective April 17, 2020:

The Postal Service’s flagship Priority Mail Express service, which guarantees overnight service, will not change.

Service commitments for local 1-day Priority Mail will not change.

Priority Mail’s two and three day service commitments now will be extended to three and four days respectively. Customers will continue to receive end-to-end visibility and improved product tracking, as well as up to $50 in free insurance.

With the extra day extension, customers should expect delivery using Priority Mail Open and Distribute (PMOD) to range from two to four days nationwide.

First-Class Package Service (FCPS) two and three day service commitments will also be extended to three and four days respectively.

Global Express Guaranteed Services also have been altered. For a full list of international and domestic updates, refer to usps.com.

The Postal Service’s goal continues to be to move packages as expeditiously as possible. The Postal Service continually reviews its network capacity to provide the American public reliable, efficient, and fast-delivery service. We will continue to keep you abreast of improvements in transportation availability and when we will be able to return to normal service levels.

Customers are entitled to a full refund of postage costs for shipments addressed to countries to which USPS services are temporarily suspended.  The applicable postage refund process is based on the type of postage payment utilized for the shipment (i.e. Retail, PC Postage and other online label platforms, eVS and Business Mail Entry Units (BMEU)).  Details on obtaining postage refunds are available at the Postal Pro website: https://postalpro.usps.com/international-refunds.

Following is the list of temporarily suspended countries, effective 4-17-20:

1. Angola
2. Benin
3. Bermuda
4. Bolivia
5. Bosnia and Herzegovina
6. Botswana
7. Burundi
8. Cameroon
9. Cape Verde
10. Cayman Islands
11. Chad
12. Congo, Democratic Republic of the
13. Congo, Republic of the
14. Cook Islands
15. Costa Rica
16. Cuba
17. Curacao
18. Ecuador
19. Fiji
20. French Polynesia
21. Gambia
22. Guatemala
23. Guinea Bissau
24. Guyana
25. Honduras
26. India
27. Kenya
28. Kiribati
29. Kuwait
30. Kyrgyzstan
31. Laos
32. Lebanon
33. Lesotho
34. Libya
35. Madagascar
36. Malawi
37. Maldives
38. Mauritius
39. Moldova
40. Mongolia
41. Mozambique
42. Nepal
43. New Caledonia
44. Oman
45. Panama
46. Papua New Guinea
47. Paraguay
48. Peru
49. Rwanda
50. Samoa
51. Saudi Arabia
52. Senegal
53. Seychelles
54. Solomon Islands
55. South Africa
56. South Sudan
57. Sri Lanka
58. Sudan
59. Swaziland (Eswatini)
60. Tajikistan
61. Tanzania
62. Timor-Leste
63. Tonga
64. UAE
65. Uganda
66. Uruguay
67. Vanuatu
68. Venezuela
69. Yemen
70. Zambia
71. Zimbabwe

On April 17, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from Instituto Postal Dominicano (INPOSDOM), the designated postal operator of Dominican Republic, indicating that they are declaring a situation of force majeure for letter-post and parcel-post items, until further notice. Delays in processing and delivery should be expected.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On April 16, 2020, the Postal Service™ received a notification from Correo Argentino, the designated postal operator of Argentina, indicating that they are extending the previously announced suspensions for signature service and service standards until April 27, 2020.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On April 15, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Honduras UPDATE: Empresa de Correos de Honduras (Honducor) has advised that they are extending the suspension of mail services until April 19, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course.
• Mauritius UPDATE: Mauritius Post has advised that they are extending the suspension of mail services until May 4, 2020. 
• Nepal UPDATE: Nepal Post has advised that they are extending the suspension of mail services until April 30, 2020.
• Sri Lanka UPDATE: Department of Posts has advised that they are extending the suspension of mail services until April 20, 2020.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Colombia UPDATE: Servicios Postales Nacionales S.A. 4-72, has advised that, owing to the emergency resulting from the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), there continues to be significant delays in all of its international inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items.
• Georgia UPDATE: Georgian Post has advised that the Government of Georgia has decided to extend the measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 until May 10, 2020. This includes the suspension of signature service and suspension of service standards.
• Ireland UPDATE: An Post, has advised that owing to the cancellation of numerous international flights, it is currently limited in its ability to send outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) to some countries and ceasing to accept mail destined for those countries until further notice. Details of these destinations can be found at https://www.anpost.com/Coronavirus/Mails-Parcels-services. As of April 15, An Post is sending only letters, large envelopes and packets to the United States; no parcels.
• Italy UPDATE: Poste Italiane has advised that the Italian Government has extended the measures aimed at minimizing the spread of COVID-19 until May 3, 2020. This includes the suspension of signature service and service standards; limitations on the size and weight of parcels; and changes to the number delivery attempts that will be made before a package is returned to sender. 
• Jamaica UPDATE: Jamaica Post has advised that the suspension of service standards has been extended until further notice.
• United Arab Emirates UPDATE: Emirates Post has advised that it is carrying out contactless deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deliveries to the addressee’s home require the courier to confirm the recipient’s name by asking to see ID, recording name and releasing item to recipient.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and DMM Advisories are available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com)

On April 8, 2020, the Department of State notified the Postal Service™ that effective April 9, 2020 through May 8, 2020 diplomatic mail will be temporarily suspended to the following ZIP codes:

Additionally, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following country has suspended certain mail services:

• Kuwait UPDATE: Kuwait Postal Sector has extended the suspension of all inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items until May 1, 2020. Therefore, the situation of force majeure declared previously is to be extended until May 1, 2020.
• Luxembourg UPDATE: Post Luxembourg has advised that the delivery of letter post will be suspended on April 10, 2020, until further notice. 

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Nepal UPDATE: Nepal Post has advised that all international flights are further suspended until April 30, 2020. The lockdown remains in force until April 15, 2020. Collection, transmission and delivery of all postal products is significantly impacted. 
• Spain UPDATE: Correos y Telégrafos has advised that, owing to the suspension of flights to and from Spain, it is currently able to send mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) and parcels to the following countries only; Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, South Korea, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States of America. The Spanish Government has extended the state of alert until April 26, 2020 in order to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus. This state of alert may be further extended. As a result, the distribution of international mail will be subject to major delays until the situation returns to normal.
• Vietnam UPDATE: VNPost has advised that that the government is extending the measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 to nine new locations (see red text). Delivery of letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items may be delayed to the following areas:

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

Additional Country Suspension – April 7, 2020

The Postal Service™ will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to service impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective April 7, 2020, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to destinations where air and sea transportation is unavailable due to widespread cancellations and restrictions into the area. Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to any of the following countries, until further notice:

1.       Angola
2.       Benin
3.       Bosnia and Herzegovina
4.       Cameroon
5.       Cook Islands
6.       Costa Rica
7.       Gambia
8.       Guatemala
9.       Kyrgyzstan
10.   Laos
11.   Lebanon
12.   Malawi
13.   Moldova
14.   Mozambique
15.   Papua New Guinea
16.   Paraguay
17.   Republic of the Congo
18.   Senegal
19.   Seychelles
20.   Solomon Islands
21.   Sudan
22.   Tajikistan
23.   Tanzania
24.   Timor-Leste
25.   Tonga
26.   Uganda
27.   Uruguay
28.   Vanuatu
29.   Venezuela

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

For already deposited items, other than GXG, Postal Service employees will endorse the items as “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender” and then place them in the mail stream for return.

For any returned item bearing a customs form, the Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service.

For all other returned items not bearing a customs declarations form, the Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service, or the sender may re-mail them with the existing postage once service has been restored. When remailing under this option, customers must cross out the markings “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender.”

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

USPS is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to update customers until the situation returns to normal. Please visit our International Service Alerts page for the most up to date information [insert link https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

Proposed Notification of Temporary Suspension of Acceptance for Certain Countries

UPDATE (two countries added)

TEMPORARY SERVICE SUSPENSION

The Postal Service™ received notice that various postal operators are no longer able to process or deliver international mail or services originating from the United States (U.S.) due to service disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the Postal Service is currently unable to accept items destined for affected countries at any Post Office® or postal facility location, effective April 3 until further notice.

Customers are asked to refrain from entering items addressed to any of the below countries into the USPS system effective immediately:

1.       Cayman Islands
2.       Chad
3.       Ecuador
4.       French Polynesia
5.       Honduras
6.       India
7.       Kuwait
8.       Libya
9.       Madagascar
10.   Maldives
11.   Mongolia
12.   New Caledonia
13.   Panama
14.   Peru
15.   Samoa
16.   Saudi Arabia
17.   South Africa
18.   Bolivia
19.   Sri Lanka
20.   Zimbabwe
21.   Botswana
22.   Fiji

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

For already deposited items, other than GXG, Postal Service employees must endorse them “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender” and then place them in the mail stream for return.

For any returned item bearing a customs form, the Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service.

For all other returned items not bearing a customs declarations form, the Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service, or the sender may remail them with the existing postage once service has been restored. When remailing under this option, customers must cross out the markings “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender.”

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

Media Statement COVID-19

April 2, 2020

The United States Postal Service is proud of the work our more than 600,000 employees play in processing, transporting, and delivering mail and packages for the American public. We provide a vital public service that is a part of this nation’s critical infrastructure. The Postal Service has a dedicated Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Command Response leadership team that is focusing on employee and customer safety in conjunction with operational and business continuity during this unprecedented epidemic. We continue to follow the strategies and measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health departments. The CDC has information available on its website at https://www.coronavirus.gov that provides the latest information about COVID-19.

To reduce health risks for our employees and customers and to safeguard our operational and business continuity, the Postal Service is doing the following:

• Ensuring millions of masks, gloves and cleaning and sanitizing product are available and distributed to more than 30,000 locations every day through our Postal Service supply chain. We also have opened up local purchasing authorities and sourcing options so that our employees can access additional supplies within the communities they serve.  We have expanded our national sourcing of supplies and services to ensure that increasing demands are met.
• Reinforcing workplace behaviors to ensure that contact among our employees and with our customers reflects the best guidance regarding healthy interactions, social distancing, and risk minimization.  We have implemented measures at retail facilities and mail processing facilities to ensure appropriate social distancing, including through signage, floor tape, and “cough/sneeze” barriers. We have changed delivery procedures to eliminate the requirement that customers sign our Mobile Delivery Devices for delivery.  For increased safety, employees will politely ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door/door so that they may leave the item in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door.
• Updated our cleaning policies to ensure that all cleaning occurs in a manner consistent with CDC guidance relating to this pandemic. 
• Updated our leave policies to allow liberal use of leave and to therefore give our employees the ability to stay home whenever they feel sick, must provide dependent care, or any other qualifying factor under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  We have entered into agreements with our unions to provide 80 hours of paid leave to non-career employees for issues related to COVID-19, and have expanded the definition of sick leave for dependent care for covered employees to deal with the closures of primary and secondary schools across the country.
• Expanded the use of telework for those employees who are able to perform their jobs remotely.
• Issuing a daily cadence of employee talks, articles, videos, and other communications to ensure employees have the latest information and guidance.
• Leveraging localized continuity of operations plans that can be employed in the case of emergencies to help ensure that the nation’s postal system continues to function for the American people.  With a longstanding history of quickly adapting its operational plans to changing conditions, the Postal Service maintains steady communications with mailers during natural disasters or other events that require emergency responses and advises residential customers and business mailers with regard to postal facility disruptions that may impact delivery in an affected area via its USPS Service Alerts webpage at: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/.

The Postal Service delivers much needed medications and Social Security checks, and we are the leading delivery service for online purchases. The Postal Service is an essential service for purposes of compliance with state or municipality shelter-in-place orders or other social distancing restrictions. The statute that created the Postal Service begins with the following sentence: “The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by an Act of Congress, and supported by the people.”  39 U.S.C. §101(a).

Importantly, the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html), the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses), as well as the Surgeon General have indicated that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread through the mail.

Specifically, according to the World Health Organization, “the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and been exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.” And according to the CDC, “in general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets.” Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods.”

On April 2, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Estonia UPDATE: Estonian Post has advised that the Government of Estonia declared a state of emergency due to last until May 1, 2020. Estonian Post therefore wishes to inform its partners of some temporary changes to the services provided. Estonian Post can no longer guarantee the service delivery standards and is declaring a situation of force majeure.
• Iceland UPDATE: Iceland Post has advised that it has suspended signature on delivery for inbound items as of March 19, 2020. Delivery will be conducted via methods that limit direct contact.
• Slovakia UPDATE: Slovenska Pošta has advised that special processes have been put in place for postal items subject to delivery, specifically as follows:
  • Slovenská pošta has suspended the collection of a signature on delivery for inbound registered letter-post items. These are now placed in the addressee’s mailbox with no personal contact with the addressee, and the details are recorded in delivery books.
  • Items that do not fit in the mailbox, or those with an unsuccessful delivery attempt, will be stored at the delivery post office for an extended period (32 days in total). A notification, including instructions, will be placed in the mailbox. The same applies to ordinary mail, including small packages;
  • Inbound registered letter-post items with value-added services, such as delivery in person, written proof of delivery, the cash-on-delivery service or other additional payments etc. In such cases, deliveries have been suspended, and only a notification that the item is available at the post office will be provided (physical notification in the mailbox, or electronic notification by e-mail or SMS).
  • Where a customer is in compulsory quarantine or has been diagnosed with COVID-19, their items will be deposited at the delivery post office for the extended storage period, and customers in quarantine will be able to wait until the quarantine is lifted.
  • Parcels that would ordinarily require the addressee’s signature are still delivered to the door, but extra steps are taken to minimize interaction.
  • Furthermore, as of April 1, 2020, Slovenská pošta is able to send mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) only to countries within the European Union (with the exception of Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Malta and Spain), and to Belarus, Canada, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Slovenská pošta will continue to accept letter-post and parcel-post items sent to destinations for which transport capacity is available.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

Proposed Notification of Temporary Suspension of Acceptance for Certain Countries

TEMPORARY SERVICE SUSPENSION

The Postal Service™ received notice that various postal operators are no longer able to process or deliver international mail or services originating from the United States (U.S.) due to service disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the Postal Service is currently unable to accept items destined for affected countries at any Post Office® or postal facility location, effective April 3 until further notice.

Customers are asked to refrain from entering items addressed to any of the below countries into the USPS system effective immediately:

1.       Cayman Islands
2.       Chad
3.       Ecuador
4.       French Polynesia
5.       Honduras
6.       India
7.       Kuwait
8.       Libya
9.       Madagascar
10.   Maldives
11.   Mongolia
12.   New Caledonia
13.   Panama
14.   Peru
15.   Samoa
16.   Saudi Arabia
17.   South Africa
18.   Bolivia
19.   Sri Lanka
20.   Zimbabwe

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

For already deposited items, other than GXG, Postal Service employees must endorse them “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender” and then place them in the mail stream for return.

For any returned item bearing a customs form, the Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service.

For all other returned items not bearing a customs declarations form, the Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service, or the sender may remail them with the existing postage once service has been restored. When remailing under this option, customers must cross out the markings “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender.”

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

Please visit our International Service Alerts page for the most up to date information  https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/

On April 1, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Botswana: BotswanaPost has advised that the President of Botswana has declared a state of emergency from April 2, 2020, until further notice. A lockdown of all the country’s services has been effected, except for essential services. In compliance with the lockdown, BotswanaPost is therefore suspending all international mail operations, including the acceptance and processing of all inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items until April 30, 2020, or a later date announced by the government.
• Fiji: Post Fiji Ltd has advised that effective March 23, 2020, all international flights to and from Fiji are suspended until further notice. Post Fiji is therefore, experiencing significant disruption in its daily operations, which has led to suspension of collection and deliveries for all international letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items and services.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Argentina: Correo Argentino has implemented health and safety measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. No letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items will require signatures upon delivery. Instead, the mail carrier will ask the addressee for a piece of ID and will record the number in the signature field. Owing to the cancellation of many international flights and diminished transportation capacity, Correo Argentino is unable to transport mail to an increasing number of countries. As a result, it has arranged for mail items addressed to foreign countries to be admitted on a conditional basis. These circumstances will affect the quality of service for all inbound and outbound mail. As such, Correo Argentino, has declared force majeure and will be unable to guarantee delivery service standards (e.g. delivery time).
• Greece UPDATE: Hellenic Post (ELTA) has advised that, effective March, 30 2020, Hellenic Post will only be able to send – with delays expected due to limited capacity – letter-post and parcel-post items destined to:
  • Europe (EU and non-EU countries): Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria (Rep.), Czech Rep., Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,  Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.
  • Rest of the world: Canada, Japan and Qatar.

The above list is subject to change on a daily basis. A situation of force majeure is declared and the acceptance of letter-post and parcel-post items destined to all other countries (including the United States) is suspended with immediate effect, until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.

• Japan: Japan Post has advised that the coronavirus pandemic has caused many countries and territories to take measures such as ceasing to accept inbound international postal items, or significantly reducing or suspending flights to and from Japan. As a result, Japan Post’s transportation performance has significantly declined. Therefore, acceptance of international mail items (letter post, parcel post and EMS) by air and S.A.L. for various countries and territories is being temporarily suspended effective April 2, 2020.  Further details are provided on the Japan Post website at www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/2020/0401_02_en.html.
• Mali: La Poste du Mali has advised that the Malian Government suspended of all commercial flights (other than cargo flights) from affected countries, which will affect postal services. This measure will remain in force until May 8, 2020, and may be extended as necessary. During this time, La Poste du Mali will be unable to meet its contractual obligations, particularly those relating to quality standards.
• Serbia UPDATE: Public Enterprise Post of Serbia has advised that owing to the extremely difficult air transport situation, it is no longer able to dispatch postal items to the majority of destinations. The dispatching of all types of postal items to 186 international destinations has therefore been temporarily suspended. Currently, Post of Serbia is still dispatching and receiving letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items to and from the United States of America. ‎
• Thailand: Thailand Post has advised that a state of emergency has been declared effect from March 26 to April 30, 2020 (or a later date that may be communicated in due course). There may be a severe impact on service quality for international inbound and outbound services, and service delivery standards can no longer be guaranteed. Moreover, owing to the suspension of flights from and to Thailand, and the resulting lack of transport capacity, Thailand Post is currently unable to send mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) to a growing number of countries. Please visit www.thailandpost.co.th/un/article_detail/article/11/17151 for up-to-date information on the countries concerned.
• Turkey: Turkish PTT Corporation has advised that numerous international flights have been cancelled, resulting in a lack of transport capacity. Consequently, Turkish PTT Corporation is declaring a situation of force majeure with immediate effect, and delays are also to be expected for all other inbound and outbound postal items.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and DMM Advisories are available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com)

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE 

Policy for Customers Requiring Visitor

Medical Screenings for Letter Carriers

As a result of the ongoing concern regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the U.S. Postal Service understands that many customers have taken additional precautions to protect their employees and their residents.  The Postal Service, too, has implemented a number of measures to protect the health and welfare of its employees and customers, consistent with guidance for businesses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While we understand customers’ desire to screen individuals entering their facilities, we cannot require our letter carriers to comply with such requests.  Our carriers have privacy protections under Federal laws – such as the Privacy Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) – that may be violated if we require a carrier to be subjected to precautionary screenings by customers.

Although we cannot direct a carrier to submit to precautionary screenings, the Postal Service wants to do its best to ensure our business customers and their residents receive their mail.  Instead of requiring screening among the alternatives you can consider are:

1. Opting to redirect mail to a mail receptacle inside or outside the building where screening would not be necessary.
2. Placing the mail on hold at the Post Office servicing this delivery.  Mail and parcels can be held up to 30 days and will be available for customer pickup.
3. Forwarding mail to an alternate location.

Please contact your local Post Office to discuss these alternative options.  Local management will work with you to ensure that the Postal Service can maintain continuity of delivery operations for your facility.

The United States Postal Service values all of its customers. This policy has been designed to protect the safety and well-being of our employees and customers, which are our highest priorities.

On March 31, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Bolivia: Agencia Boliviana de Correos has advised that effective from March 22 to April 15, 2020, it is temporarily suspending all mail services. Agencia Boliviana de Correos is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure in relation to all letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items.
• France UPDATE: La Poste has advised the French Government has extended the measures aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19 until April 15, 2020. As previously advised, La Poste has suspended the following letter-post services; International Surface Airlift (ISAL), M-bags, returns, and International Business Reply Service (IBRS). 
• Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz pochtasy has advised that in accordance with the declaration of the Government of Kyrgyzstan in response to the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is temporarily suspending the shipment of outbound mail destined to foreign countries. Mail destined to Kyrgyzstan will continue to be delivered as usual. 
• Peru UPDATE: Servicios Postales del Perú – SERPOST S.A, has extended the suspension on delivery of domestic and international mail. Therefore, postal services in Peru are suspended until April 12, 2020.
• Zimbabwe UPDATE: Zimbabwe Posts (Pvt) Ltd. (Zimpost) has advised that the President of Zimbabwe has declared a state of emergency for 21 days starting Monday, March 30, 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). A lockdown of all services in the country has been effected, except for a few specified critical utilities that exclude postal services. In compliance with the lockdown, ZIMPOST is therefore suspending all operations (counter and mail services), including the acceptance and processing of all inbound and outbound mail (letters, parcels and EMS) until the end of the lockdown on Tuesday, April 19, 2020, or any other date announced by the government.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

Furthermore, as a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Italy UPDATE: Poste Italiane has advised that it has implemented further measures with regard to the acceptance and delivery of parcels, in accordance with physical distancing requirements. If the addressee cannot be contacted, or in the case of parcels addressed to businesses and other entities that are temporarily closed, items can be returned to sender after the first delivery attempt. Furthermore, in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and protect employees’ health by enabling processing by a single person, only parcels below 25 kg in weight, 120 cm in length and 150 cm for the three dimensions combined can be accepted. Parcels exceeding these weight and size limits will not be accepted until further notice. These restrictions do not apply to donations. Finally, owing to the increasing lack of transport capacity following the cancellation of numerous international flights, and further to the declaration of force majeure and the suspension of postal services in a number of countries, Poste Italiane is constantly updating its list of admitted outbound destinations. Please visit: www.poste.it/emergenza-covid19.html for up to date information on the most affected municipalities.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and DMM Advisories are available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com)

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

On March 27, 2020, the Department of Defense notified the Postal Service™ that effective March 30, 2020, the temporary service suspension to the APO/FPO ZIP codes listed below will be LIFTED immediately:

Additionally, on March 30, 2020, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• France UPDATE: La Poste has advised that effective March 30, 2020, it will be unable to accept inbound letter-post flows in their entirety for the upcoming weeks, during which there will be four days of reception: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Efforts will be focused on urgent flows and the delivery of small packets able to help people during this confinement period. Therefore, La Poste is asking mailers worldwide to defer their non-urgent shipments to France and requesting that postal operators reduce the volume of despatches. For the same reason, La Poste will be unable to receive the following letter-post items; International Surface Airlift, M-bags, returns, and International Business Reply Service (IBRS).
• Honduras UPDATE: Empresa de Correos de Honduras (Honducor) has advised that it has extended the suspension of postal services until April 12, 2020, or a later date to be communicated in due course. The suspension affects imports of international mail at land and sea borders, and at Ramon Villeda Morales Airport in San Pedro Sula and Toncontin Airport in Tegucigalpa. Honducor therefore asks countries that normally send their mail to Honduras by air cargo flights not to do so for the time being to avoid mail being stored in customs warehouses, generating significant extra costs. An exception may be made for humanitarian aid, which Honducor is able to process with the knowledge and prior authorization of the Honduran Government. Honducor asks to be excused from delivery time requirements and compensation for late delivery of postal items until normal operations resume.
• Kazakhstan: Kazpost JSC has advised that it has suspended the dispatch of all types of postal items to the following countries; Algeria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Spain, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America. (See below for information regarding mail destined to Kazakhstan.)
• Saudi Arabia UPDATE: Saudi Post Corporation has advised that, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the dispatch and receipt of all ordinary and registered letter-post and parcel-post items has been suspended for two weeks beginning Sunday, March 29, 2020. Dispatch and receipt of Express Mail Service (EMS) items weighing up to 11 pounds (5 kg) will, however, continue. During this time, quality of service, including delivery times and other quality standards, cannot be guaranteed.

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

Furthermore, as a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Colombia, Servicios Postales Nacionales S.A. 4-72, has advised that, owing to the emergency resulting from the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), there will be significant delays in all of its international inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS services.
• Denmark UPDATE: Post Danmark (PostNord Denmark) has advised that effective March 27, 2020, it is able to send mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) only to countries within the European Union (EU), with the exception of Cyprus and Malta. It is also able to send mail to the following countries: Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam. Service availability is subject to change on a daily basis. Please visit www.postnord.dk/en/service-interruptions/how-is-covid-19-affecting-postnord for up-to-date information. Furthermore, PostNord Denmark has suspended signature on delivery. Delivery will be conducted via methods that limit human contact, with immediate effect.
• Grenada: Grenada Postal Corporation, has advised that the Government of Grenada has declared a limited state of emergency for 21 days effective March 25, 2020. This has resulted in the closure of the airport and a number of businesses, and includes restrictions on movement of people and transport capacity. Outbound and inbound mail delivery services and other services will be affected.
• Kazakhstan: Kazpost JSC has advised that a state of emergency has been declared throughout the country until April 15, 2020 and a quarantine has been imposed in the cities of Nur-Sultan and Almaty in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, mail deliveries and distribution of newspapers and magazines are carrying on as normal. However, given the imposition of quarantine and the restriction of air and train transportation to and from Nur-Sultan and Almaty, delays in mail delivery to all areas are possible.
• Lithuania UPDATE: Lithuania Post has advised that the Government of Lithuania has decided to extend the nationwide quarantine for at least two more weeks – until April 13, 2020 – in order to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). To eliminate customer interaction at the doorstep, Lithuania Post has suspended the collection of signature on delivery for inbound letter mail items and, wherever possible, is sending parcels to parcel lockers for contact-free collection. Courier items are still delivered to the door, but the four last digits of the recipient’s ID are recorded in place of a signature. For this reason, service delivery standards cannot be guaranteed and Lithuania Post is therefore invoking a situation of force majeure with regard to quality of service, until the situation returns to normal.
• Nepal UPDATE: Nepal Post has advised that the Government of Nepal has extended the suspension of all incoming international flights to Nepal until April 15, 2020, and the country is in lockdown until April 7, 2020. These measures are adversely affecting the collection, transmission and delivery of mail items.
• Sweden UPADTE: Sweden Post (PostNord Sweden) has advised that effective March 27, 2020, it is able to send mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) only to countries within the European Union, with the exception of Cyprus and Malta. It is also able to send mail to Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam. This list is subject to change on a daily basis. Please visit www.postnord.se/en/about-us/how-the-coronavirus-is-affecting-our-deliveries for up-to-date information. PostNord Sweden is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure and has suspended signature on delivery for items destined to Sweden, with the exception of items that are delivered through a retail outlet. Delivery will be conducted via methods that limit human contact, with immediate effect.
• Vatican: Poste Vaticane has advised that it will carry on operating and provide its services as far as it is able to. The current situation will have repercussions in terms of quality of service for all types of inward and outward mail. Under these circumstances, Poste Vaticane will no longer be able to guarantee delivery service standards. Owing to insufficient transport capacity following the cancellation of many international flights, Poste Vaticane is currently unable to transport mail (letter-post and parcel-post items) to a growing number of countries. Poste Vaticane is therefore no longer accepting postal destined for the countries concerned until further notice. The list of destination countries affected is liable to change on a daily basis.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to update mailers regarding new service disruptions as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and DMM Advisories are available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com)

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE

Business Closed—Hold Mail

USPS is committed to identifying solutions to assist those businesses impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In an effort to best serve our business customers, we are temporarily modifying how we handle mail that must be returned to the delivery office due to a full box, or the business not being open to receive delivery for an extended period.

Current postal policy is to return the mail to the delivery office, indicate the date the mail is first returned to be held, and hold for 10 days. In order to accommodate businesses during this challenging time, we will now extend the hold period to 30 days before returning the items to the sender.

Once the business reopens, delivery should immediately resume unless other arrangements have been made. If the business fails to make alternative delivery arrangements or does not submit a request to hold or forward its mail after 30 days, the process of returning mail to the sender will resume.

Management may make efforts to contact business owners for whom we are holding mail to discuss the alternative options.

If businesses make contact after the 30-day hold period and Moved, Left No Address (MLNA) orders have been processed, the USPS will extend assistance as necessary to cancel and immediately resume delivery.

These instructions shall remain in place until further notice.

Industry and commercial customers can email questions or concerns about COVID-19 and the mail to industryfeedback@usps.gov with COVID-19 in the subject line.  Mailers can also sign up for Industry Alerts at industryalert@usps.gov.

For more information, see the USPS Coronavirus Statement at about.usps.com/newsroom.

On March 27, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Panama: Correos de Panamá has advised that the Panamanian government has adopted new public health measures, and has extended the countrywide curfew to 24 hours a day effective March 25, 2020, for the duration of the state of national emergency. Given this situation, all categories of inbound and outbound mail are suspended until further notice. Furthermore, Correos de Panamá is no longer in a position to guarantee delivery standards for incoming and outgoing mail and is invoking force majeure, until further notice.
• Romania: CN Poșta Română SA has advised that, owing to the suspension of flights, it is currently unable to send letter-post and parcel-post items to an increasing number of countries both within and outside the European Union. Therefore, it is no longer accepting letter-post and parcel-post items for international destinations to which transport capacities are unavailable. In addition, it is unable to send any outbound Express Mail Service (EMS) items and will no longer accept such items until sufficient transport capacity becomes available

As a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Cape Verde, Correios de Cabo Verde has advised that the government of Cabo Verde has declared an emergency for at least three weeks beginning March 18, 2020. Cape Verde has closed its borders and suspended all flights to all EU countries, United States of America, Brazil, Senegal and Nigeria. All UPU member countries are advised to expect serious delays for both inbound and outbound mail as a result of the numerous flight reductions and cancellations. Correios de Cabo Verde will continue to operate during its normal working hours.
• France: La Poste has advised that, until further notice, it is implementing additional safeguards for parcel-post items to protect the health and safety of La Poste’s staff, including;
  • Offices of exchange FRAINB, FRBLDB, FRCYMA, FRDVRB, FRERNA, FRERNB, FRMCRA, FRSLMB and FRTLSJ will be closed on Monday, March 30, Tuesday, March 31, and Saturday, April 4, 2020;
  • Effective Monday, March 30, 2020, only items weighing less than 15 kg and with a maximum package size of 12.5 x 9.4 x 9.4 inches (32 cm x 24 cm x 24 cm) will be delivered by its commercial network;
  • Every effort will be made to provide the service, but delivery standards will not be guaranteed;
  • All other packages will be subject to delayed service.
• Germany: Deutsche Post has advised that owing to a lack of transport capacity following the cancellation of numerous international flights they have suspended the acceptance of postal items destined for the affected countries. The list of affected destination countries is likely to change every day, and an overview is available online at https://www.deutschepost.de/en/c/coronavirus.html. Suspensions will apply until sufficient transport capacities become available. Additionally, Deutsche Post has implemented physical distancing requirements: inbound items requiring a payment by the recipient, such as cash-on-delivery (COD) or the payment of customs duties and taxes, will be immediately directed to a postal outlet for collection. Recipients will receive a notification as to which postal outlet is holding their item for collection.
• Hong Kong: Hongkong Post has announced temporarily changes its delivery process for all items requiring signature on delivery. Effective, March 28, 2020, for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery, when performing at-the-door delivery, mail carrier will not obtain a signature from the recipient to reduce human interaction. In case of an unsuccessful delivery attempt, the recipiHow does this one look?ent will receive a notification with instructions to collect the item at a designated post office. The collection arrangements at the post office remains unchanged.
• Iceland: Iceland Post has advised that many international flights have been cancelled, resulting in a lack of transport capacity. Consequently, Iceland Post is currently unable to send postal items to any countries outside the European Union, with the exception of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, Russian Federation, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Iceland Post is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure. Delays are also to be expected for postal items destined for the Union member countries listed above.
• New Zealand: New Zealand Post has advised that effective March 25, 2020, the Government of New Zealand has raised the COVID-19 alert level to 4 (the highest level) and introduced wide-ranging measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. New Zealand Post will remain in operation during the alert level 4 lockdown period, insofar as possible. However, New Zealand Post can no longer guarantee service delivery standards. It is therefore invoking a situation of force majeure in relation to any such standards, until further notice. A number of measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of both customers and staff, effective until further notice. These include the following:
  • Delivery changes: The mail carrier will knock at the door as usual, step back away from the door, and ask for the recipient’s name to record proof of delivery.
  • Over-the-counter services have been discontinued effective March 25, 2020. It will also mean a reduction in the capacity to accept international outbound items, and a reduction in export volumes is therefore to be expected while alert level 4 remains in effect.
  • Businesses that are deemed to provide essential services are still able to send their products.
  • Owing to the suspension of many flights and the resulting reduction in transport capacity, New Zealand Post is limited in its ability to send outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) to foreign countries. Please visit www.nzpost.co.nz/contact-support/international-mail-updates for up-to-date information on the affected countries.
• Russian Federation: Russian Post has advised that, owing to the quarantine measures implemented in Moscow to minimize the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the fact that the principal office of exchange for imports is located in Moscow, Russian Post is unable to guarantee compliance with delivery standards. As a result, Russian Post is invoking a situation of force majeure with regard to quality of service for all categories of mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) until further notice.
• Ukraine: Ukrposhta has advised that the Government of Ukraine declared a state of emergency across the country until April 24, 2020, to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. Ukrposhta is maintaining its operations, with measures in place to protect staff and customers. Delays are to be expected in the delivery of all inbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) destined to Ukraine. In order to minimize human contact, it will not be mandatory for mail carriers to collect and provide written proof of delivery; registered items (other than summons) will be left in addressees’ mailboxes, and inbound international postal items will be stored at post offices free of charge until the end of the state of emergency.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On March 26, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• India: The Department of Posts (India Post) has advised that owing to the suspension of air and rail services, and various other extraordinary measures taken by the Government of India, India Post has suspended all international mail exchanges until further notice. The postal service is being maintained as an essential service: domestic mail exchanges are continuing, and all international mail received before March 22, 2020 are being delivered with limited staff. India Post can no longer guarantee service delivery standards.
• Maldives UPDATE: Maldives Post has advised that the government of Maldives has decided to extend the measures adopted as a precaution against the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Maldives Post is suspending the processing of all inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) from March 19, 2020 through April 4, 2020. This will have a major impact on operations and, consequently, on quality of service for all types of mail. The disruption is expected to continue until the epidemic is over. Consequently, service delivery standards cannot be guaranteed, and a situation of force majeure has been declared.
• Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Posts (Pvt) Ltd. (Zimpost) has advised that, following the suspension of flights into and out of Zimbabwe by its partner airlines, it has suspended all inbound and outbound international mail operations effective March 19, 2020 until further notice. Zimpost is therefore declaring a force majeure situation. It is unable to guarantee inbound and outbound mail standards. 

As a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On March 25, 2020, the Department of Defense notified the Postal Service™ that effective March 25, 2020 through April 15, 2020 military mail will be temporarily suspend to the following ZIP codes, due to the loss of transportation to/from Norway:

Additionally, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Cayman Islands UPDATE: the Cayman Islands Postal Service has advised that it is now required to suspend all postal operations, owing to measures taken to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 25, 2020 to April 6, 2020, the Cayman Islands Postal Service is closing all operations to comply with a government direction that all but essential workers remain at home during this period.
• Chad: Société Tchadienne des Postes et de l’Epargne (STPE) has advised that the government of Chad has decided to close its land borders and suspend all flights, except for cargo, from March 19, 2020 until further notice. Consequently, STPE is no longer able to send postal items to other designated operators or receive postal items from them.
• Madagascar: Paositra Malagasy has advised that the Government of Madagascar has declared a state of sanitary emergency for a period of 15 days, with effect from March 21, 2020. These measures are having a severe impact on postal operations. Until further notice, post offices will be operating a minimum service and the delivery of mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) is suspended. Consequently, Paositra Malagasy is no longer able to guarantee quality of service for all categories of inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items).
• Samoa: Samoa Post has advised that the Government of Samoa has declared a state of emergency, with effect from Saturday, March 21, 2020. Samoa has therefore closed its borders and suspended all flights in and out of the country. Samoa Post will be closed from Thursday, March 26, 2020 until further notice; no inbound or outbound mail will be processed during this period.
• South Africa: South African Post Office Ltd., has advised that the government has taken a number of steps aimed at reducing social contacts and physical movements to a minimum. In addition, because of the suspension of many flights, exchanges of both inbound and outbound mails are currently blocked. All post offices nationwide will be closed while the country is on lockdown, and all mail classes will be delayed. South African Post Office therefore requests that delivery standards be suspended in this force majeure situation. At present, normal services are due to resume as of April 17, 2020.

As a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• France UPDATE: La Poste has advised that all its offices of exchange (international processing centers) will be subject to an exceptional closure, as follows:
  • On Wednesday, March 25, 2020;
  • From Saturday, March 28, to Monday, March 30, 2020.

The delivery of EMS items will be maintained, but may be subject to delays.

• Indonesia: Pos Indonesia has advised that operations, for all outbound and inbound mail (letter post, parcel post and EMS) are being disrupted. Delivery standards cannot be guaranteed; addressee signature on delivery of inbound items has been suspended, and a situation of force majeure has been declared from March 23, 2020 until the situation returns to normal. Pos Indonesia remains committed to keeping its services running as far as the steps being taken in the national interest to protect citizens allow.
• United Arab Emirates Emirates Post has advised that a state of alert has been declared, at least until April 2, 2020. Emirates Post is required to take strict ad hoc measures aimed at minimizing human contact, during both sorting and delivery. These are likely to have an impact on operations and, consequently, on quality of service for all types of inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS). For this reason, service delivery standards cannot currently be guaranteed. While airports remain open, passenger flights to and from the UAE have been suspended. The delivery of international mail will be subject to potential delays until the situation returns to normal. As a result, Emirates Post is unable to offer various services at the moment. The provisions set out above will remain in effect until further notice.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On March 23, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The following countries have suspended certain mail services: 

• Mauritania: MAURIPOST has advised that the Mauritanian government has taken the decision to close its air borders effective March 18, 2020 until further notice. As a result, MAURIPOST is no longer able to send or receive mail items to or from other countries.
• Portugal: CTT Correios de Portugal has advised that given the diminishing number of flights and reduced capacity, CTT Correios de Portugal is temporarily unable to send outbound international letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to many destinations outside of Europe, as well as to some European destinations. [See below regarding international items sent from the U.S. to Portugal.]
• Sri Lanka: Department of Posts has advised that the Sri Lankan Government has declared a “work from home” period until March 27, 2020 subject to further extension if necessary. The Department of Posts is therefore suspending the processing and delivery of all international inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items until sufficient transport and workforce capacity is available.
• As a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Bermuda: Bermuda Post Office has advised that all public transportation, including flights into Bermuda, have been suspended effective March 20, 2020. These measures are having a direct impact on postal operations and service quality. Customers should expect delivery delays.
• Brazil: Correios has advised the Brazilian Government has introduced a series of measures to minimize the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). There may be a severe impact on service quality for international inbound and outbound services. Correios can no longer guarantee the service delivery standards (including delivery times and other quality parameters). Additionally, until further notice, letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery will no longer be signed for at the moment of handover to the recipient.
• Canada UPDATE!: Canada Post confirms that that the surface/air network between USPS and Canada Post is operating smoothly. While processing of domestic and inbound mail from USPS will continue as normal, there may be some delays on certain inbound mail items from USPS due to limited air network capacity. Given the potential for service delays for our customers, Canada Post is treating this situation as a case of force majeure, customers should expect delivery delays.
• Colombia: Servicios Postales Nacionales S.A. 4-72 has advised that customer should expect delivery delays owning to road and border closures and the suspension of airline services affecting logistics operations at the national and international level. Additionally, preventive measures have also been taken to protect administrative and operational personnel.
• Greece: Hellenic Post (ELTA) has advised that, owing to the lack of transport capacity following numerous international flight cancellations resulting from measures to limit the transmission of COVID-19, it is currently unable to transport mail to many countries. Effective March, 20 2020, Hellenic Post will only be able to send – with delays expected due to limited capacity – letter-post and parcel-post items destined to:
  • Europe (EU and non-EU countries), except Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Serbia, and Slovenia.
  • Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Venezuela.
  • The above list is subject to change on a daily basis. A situation of force majeure is declared and the acceptance of letter-post and parcel-post items destined to all other countries is suspended with immediate effect, until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.
• Guyana: Guyana Post Office Corporation has advised that it received a Government directive on March 18, 2020, stating that staff must work on a rotation basis. This will directly affect all postal operations. Furthermore, all entry ports into Guyana have been closed for 14 days. Therefore, delays are to be expected in the handling and delivery of all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items.
• Panama: Correos de Panamá has advised that all incoming and outgoing international flights to and from Panama have been suspended effective March 19, 2020. As a result, airlines have cancelled mail transportation until further notice. In view of this situation, transportation services for all categories of mail item (letter post, parcel post and EMS) are suspended until further notice. The postal network, national and international operations centers and national post offices will, however, remain open, but with a reduced workforce and modified working hours. A situation of force majeure clause for quality of service and quality of remunerations for all categories of mail item (letter post, parcel post and EMS) is invoked until further notice.
• Portugal: CTT Correios de Portugal has advised that International and domestic operations will continue to operate normally as far as possible. However, several measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of both customers and staff, including the following:
  • Post offices will remain open in general (closing over lunchtime);
  • For domestic and inbound international items that would normally require a signature, the postwoman or postman will sign for delivery in place of the customer (as already stated in EmIS 115);
  • CTT Correios de Portugal is no longer able to guarantee delivery times, observe the standard rules for signature on delivery, or make tracking data available for all shipments.
  • Given the diminishing number of flights and reduced capacity, Correios de Portugal is also temporarily unable to send letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to many destinations outside of Europe, as well as to some European destinations.
• Thailand: Thailand Post confirms that processing of international inbound items is still proceeding as usual. However, in compliance with the strict ad hoc measures taken by the government, delays may be expected for all types of inbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS). Signature on delivery for international services that would ordinarily require the recipient’s signature is still provided wherever possible. In cases where the recipients refuse to sign, the mail carrier will sign on the recipient’s behalf. The processing of outbound mail to all countries affected by the spread of novel coronavirus is also expected to be subject to delays.
• Tonga: Tonga Post Ltd., has advised that that the Government of Tonga has declared a state of emergency for one month effective March 20, 2020, (period subject to extension). Restrictions will be in place in the coming days that will have an impact on postal operations and quality of service for all types of inbound and outbound mail. The measures will have repercussions on Tonga Post’s ability to keep its sorting and delivery operations running. For this reason, service delivery standards cannot be guaranteed.
• Uruguay: Correo Uruguayo, wishes to inform the designated operators of other UPU member countries of the following measures to minimize the spread of the coronavirus:
  • Staff numbers in postal facilities are being reduced as far as possible, and teleworking introduced where feasible;
  • Direct physical contacts are being minimized, and appropriate hygienic measures introduced;
  • Post offices with large numbers of customers are being kept closed, with special collection points set up directly with customers.

The above steps, along with the suspension and reduction of international flights and connections, will impact inbound and outbound postal operations and delivery. Customers should expect delivery delays.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

On March 19, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended certain mail services:

• Bulgaria: Bulgarian Posts plc has advised that it is currently not able to send letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items to many countries inside and outside the European Union, with the list changing on a daily basis. For this reason, Bulgarian Posts has ceased to accept any outbound EMS items destined to international locations. The company will continue to accept letter-post and parcel-post items sent to destinations for which transport capacity is still available. Customers should expect delays for all inbound and outbound mail until further notice.
• Cyprus: Cyprus Post has advised that effective Saturday, March 21, 2020; all commercial flights to Cyprus are suspended for 14 days. Cyprus Post is therefore suspending all outgoing dispatches to international destinations. [Note: see below regarding change for mail destined to Cyprus.]
• Morocco: Poste Maroc has advised that following the suspension of international commercial air traffic, it is suspending outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to international destinations until normal flight operations resume. [Note: see below regarding change for mail destined to Morocco.]

As a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored. 

The following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Austria: Österreichische Post AG has advised that it is currently unable to send letters and parcels to a constantly increasing number of countries both within and outside of the European Union due to the suspension of flights from Austria. Therefore, Österreichische Post AG has stopped accepting letter-post and parcel-post items for those destinations to where transportation is unavailable. Delivery standards and times can no longer be guaranteed until the situation has returned to normal. Additionally, all items that require the addressee’s signature are now deposited in the addressee’s mailbox or in a secure location on their premises, with signature by the mail carrier on their portable device. In cases where items are delivered to the recipient in person, the mail carrier will likewise sign on the recipient’s behalf.
• Belgium: bpost has advised that operations will continue to operate normally as far as possible. However, several measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of both customers and staff, including the following:
  • Post offices will remain open in general, but will be closed on Saturdays;
  • For domestic and inbound international items that would normally require a signature, the mail carrier will sign for delivery in place of the customer (but in the customer’s presence);
  • bpost is no longer able to guarantee delivery times, standard rules for signature on delivery, or availability of tracking data for shipments.

Furthermore, in common with many other postal operators, given the diminishing number of flights and reduced capacity, bpost is temporarily unable to send outbound international mail and parcels (letter post, parcel post and EMS) to destinations outside Europe

• Cyprus: Cyprus Post has advised that effective Saturday, March 21, 2020; all commercial flights to Cyprus are suspended for 14 days. Therefore, until further notice, all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items destined to Cyprus will be sent by alternative transportation (e.g. surface). Customers should expect delivery delays.
• Djibouti: La Poste has advised that Djibouti has suspended all international flights arriving in and departing from Djibouti, with the exception of cargo flights, until further notice. Therefore, delays are expected in the handling and delivery of letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items, until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.
• Finland: Posti and Åland Post have advised that owing to a lack of transport capacity, they are currently unable to transport outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to many international destinations. Effective March 18, 2020, Posti and Åland Post will only be able to transport letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items destined for the countries listed below, with delays to be expected owing to limited capacity:
  • All EU countries, with the exception of Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Malta, Slovakia and Spain;
  • Australia, Canada, China (People’s Rep.), Israel, Japan, Norway, Russian Federation, Serbia, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States of America.
• France: La Poste has advised that the French Government has reinforced the measures in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. La Poste’s network and national and international operational centres remain open and continue to operate. However, given the reduced workforce, La Poste can no longer guarantee delivery lead times, the collection of signatures on delivery, delivery to the addressee in person, tracking of items (scanning and shipment lead times), the processing of items for reimbursement, and insured items. This concerns in particular registered letters, tracked small packets with signature, parcels and EMS items. Additionally, numerous post offices are closed, and the opening hours of those remaining open have been reduced.
• Georgia: Georgian Post has advised that the Government of Georgia has taken measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As these measures include the self-quarantine of staff, significant delays are to be expected in the delivery of all inbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items. Severe delays are also to be expected for outbound mail to all destinations, as a result of flight suspensions. Indirect delivery methods will be implemented temporarily for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items that would ordinarily require the addressee’s signature. Consequently, it will not be mandatory for Georgian Post to collect and provide written proof of delivery.
• Liechtenstein: Liechtensteinische Post has advised that all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring a signature upon delivery are no longer being signed when handed over to the addressee. For such items, the mail carrier will leave a note in the signature field of the handheld device. This temporary measure will apply until further notice.
• Mauritius: Mauritius Post has advised that all post offices are closed until 2 April 2020. As a result, severe delays are to be expected in the processing, transport and delivery of both inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items due to the suspension of postal services and various flight cancellations. Moreover, signature on delivery will no longer be required at the time delivery is made. Instead, the mail carrier will ask the recipient’s name and will record it on the delivery receipt.
• Mexico: Correos de México has advised that, owing to the cancellation of international flights it is facing significant disruption to its operations. Until further notice, only services to Canada and the United States of America will be maintained. Customers should expect delivery delays.
• Morocco: Poste Maroc has advised that incoming mail has been processed and delivered as normal. However, delivery services may suffer certain delays, because of limited staff in processing and delivery centers. Postal parcels, EMS items and registered mail are being delivered without the addressee’s signature being requested. For such items, the mail carrier will the addressee for their identity card number and record it. This exceptional March 17, 2020, and will remain in effect until further notice.
• New Caledonia: OPT–NC has advised that owing to the reduction in the number of flights offered by partner airlines, and new measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19, the shipment of inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items is currently limited to mainland France only. OPT–NC is ceasing to accept any mail originating from other Union member countries with immediate effect. For all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring a signature on delivery, the addressee’s signature will be replaced by that of the mail carrier or OPT–NC agent. Customers should expect delivery delays.
• North Macedonia: Post of North Macedonia has advised that the government has officially declared a state of emergency for 30 days from March 19, 2020, (period subject to extension). Skopje Airport is closed to all international flights until further notice. Exchanges of mail with the designated operators of neighbouring countries are being organized where possible. This situation will have a major impact on operations, and quality of service for all types of inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items. This is expected to remain the case until the end of the pandemic.
• Poland: Poczta Polska has advised that until further notice delivery delays are should be expected for all types of inbound and outbound EMS, parcel-post and letter-post items. Additionally, Poczta Polska has stopped accepting outbound international mail until further notice, with the exception of mail destined to: Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States of America.
• Switzerland: Swiss Post Ltd has advised that owing to the cancellation of most international flights it is currently unable to send letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to any countries outside the European Union, with the exception of: Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Delays are also to be expected for postal items destined for the member countries listed above.
• Vietnam: VNPost has advised that delivery of letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to the following locations may be delayed:

 These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS UPDATE 

Customer Signature Service

COVID-19 Response and Prevention

A number of cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have recently been confirmed across the country.

The safety and well-being of our employees & customers is our highest priority. To help ensure the health of our employees & customers, we are continuing to follow recommended guidance and strategies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments, and are implementing additional measures to help maintain social distancing.

One significant measure being implemented is a temporary modification to mail handling procedures for mail that requires customer signatures. We recognize the close proximity and additional handling that occurs when employees must ask customers for a signature and government issued identification when required. To reduce health risks, we are temporarily modifying customer signature capture procedures. Effective immediately and until further notice, our employees will follow the temporary process below for signature service items. This process applies to all letter carriers:

• Avoid ringing the doorbell when possible. Knock on the customer’s door.  Avoid areas that may be frequently touched when knocking.
• While maintaining a safe, appropriate distance, employees will request the customer’s first initial and last name.
• For increased safety, employees will ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door/door so that they may leave the item in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door.
• If there is no response, employees will follow the normal Notice Left process.
• If there are delivery points on the route where social distancing recommendations are difficult to follow, alternative delivery methods can be explored.

Following are the updates received today from the UPU concerning service impacts due to COVID-19:

• Slovenia – Suspended signature on delivery for inbound items insofar as possible.  In order to avoid human contact, Pošta Slovenije will deliver items using alternative delivery methods where possible. This includes delivery to agreed locations without physical contact (e.g. P.O. boxes, mailboxes, parcel lockers) and delivery without signature (to this end, a new “contact-free delivery” status for internal items has been introduced within the domestic Track & Trace system).

• Malaysia – Delays are expected in processing, transportation and delivery of both incoming and outgoing international shipments of letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items, owing to suspension of services, cancellation of flights, shutdown of airports and implementation of preventative measures to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19.  The dispatching of all outbound airmails (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) to the following countries is expected to be severely delayed:
  • Canada and United States of America (from 30 March 2020):

For inbound mail deliveries, letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items will be handled as follows:

Items requiring signature on delivery will no longer be signed at the moment of handover to the recipient, for health, safety and security reasons. Instead, the postman will ask for the recipient’s name and will enter this information in the signature field of the handheld device or delivery manifest. This temporary measure came into force from Monday, 16 March 2020 and remains in effect until further notice.  For delivery of items to a mail room, the addressee will receive a text message or telephone call. Deliveries to premises or areas needing to be closed down due to COVID-19 are suspended.

• Tunisia –  The Government of Tunisia has decided to close all air and land borders, with effect from 18 March 2020 and until further notice.  Consequently, the main partner airline “Tunisair” has suspended all commercial flights for an undefined period. La Poste Tunisienne is therefore no longer able to send or receive postal items to or from other designated operators.

• United Kingdom – Royal Mail Group can no longer guarantee service delivery standards (including delivery times and other quality parameters) applicable under UPU and associated or related bilateral and multilateral agreements.  Also, Royal Mail and Parcelforce have had to change their delivery process for all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery. As from 13 March 2020, items requiring a signature on delivery will not always be signed for by the recipient. Instead, in these exceptional and difficult circumstances, where the recipient has not been able to sign for the item but has duly received it, a code (XP1) will be entered into the handheld device, and this will constitute evidence of receipt.

• Hong Kong – Hongkong Post asks us to inform other Union member countries and their designated operators that the processing of all inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) is now back to normal.

• Singapore –

Inbound mail items (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS) 

Signature on delivery will be suspended with immediate effect for all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items. However, tracked confirmation of deliveries will be provided via the usual tracking event scans for products that allow tracking.   All letter-box-sized items (including registered, tracked, parcel and EMS items) will be deposited in letter boxes. For items larger than letter-box size, delivery will be made to parcel locker stations (POP stations), post offices or collection points (in descending order of priority) for collection by the addressee.  The provision of the addressee’s mobile number on all items, if possible, will expedite the above process. For items for which no mobile number has been provided, delayed delivery is to be expected. It will not be mandatory for Singapore Post to provide written proof of delivery, and delivery will be deemed to have occurred when collection is confirmed at the designated collection points.  These special measures have been implemented in order to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and to keep staff and customers safe by avoiding human contact. However, these measures will have an impact on quality of service for all types of inbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items). This impact is expected to last until the end of the pandemic. Accordingly, inbound service delivery standards cannot be guaranteed until the situation returns to normal.

All outbound mail items (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS)

Owing to the suspension and cancellation of many flights to and from Singapore, as a result of the rapid spread of COVID-19, severe delays for all outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) conveyed via air transport are to be expected until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.

• Israel – Suspended signature on delivery for inbound items. For safety reasons, delivery will be conducted via methods that restrict direct contact, with immediate effect. For all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery, no signature will be required and the item will be left at the door, after being scanned and photographed to ensure that delivery has been made. If possible, the name of the addressee shall be recorded.

• Ireland – Suspended signature on delivery for inbound items. Delivery will be conducted via methods that limit direct contact, with immediate effect.

• Norway –  Owing to the lack of transport capacity following numerous cancellations of international flights resulting from authorities’ measures to limit the transmission of COVID-19, the postal operator of Norway,  Posten Norge AS, is currently unable to send postal items to any countries outside the European Union, with the exception of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Liechtenstein, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.   Posten Norge AS is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure and ceasing, with immediate effect, to accept postal items destined for member countries not listed above, until sufficient transport capacity becomes available. Delays are also to be expected for postal items destined to member countries listed above.

• Malta –  All letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery will no longer be signed at the moment of handover to the recipient, for health, safety and security reasons. For these items, the postman/woman will ask for the recipient’s name and ID number, and this information will be entered by the postman/woman in the signature field on the registration barcode sticker.

• Turkey – Quality of service for all types of inbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items). For this reason, service delivery standards cannot be guaranteed and a situation of force majeure has been declared until the situation returns to normal.

• Myanmar – Suspended all passenger flights from and to Yangon International Airport, with effect from 18 March 2020 until 30 April 2020 inclusive.  Owing to this situation, Myanmar Post will be unable to provide outbound mail services (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) to international destinations and is therefore ceasing, with immediate effect, to accept letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items until passenger flights resume at Yangon International Airport.

• Suriname – The country is in “lockdown”. The government has decided not to allow international flights until further notice.  Quality of service for all types of inbound and outbound mail (letter post, parcels and EMS) is impacted. For this reason, service delivery standards cannot be guaranteed and a situation of force majeure has been declared until the situation returns to normal.

• Canada – Canada Post is experiencing significant disruption to its daily operations owing to exceptional precautionary measures, including the temporary closure of many institutions (schools, universities, public institutions, etc.) and self-quarantine for affected individuals. There is also considerable disruption with regard to airlines and other transport providers. This is having a direct impact on service quality for international inbound and outbound services. Canada Post is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure in relation to all international letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items, as a result of the global spread of COVID-19.

In response to directives issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada and pursuant to its commitment to preserve the health and safety of its employees and of Canadians, Canada Post is making changes to its delivery procedures in order to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Until further notice, it will no longer request a signature for any deliveries. Instead, its delivery agents will apply “safe drop” procedures whenever it is possible to do so. If such procedures are not possible, the delivery agent will leave a delivery notice card indicating the retail location from which the item can be collected. A delivery notice card will be left for the addressee for all registered items and items requiring the payment of duties and taxes.

• Ecuador –  All postal services in Ecuador are suspended with immediate effect until further notice.

• Armenia – Owing to the suspension of flights resulting from the outbreak and spread of COVID-19, the postal operator of Armenia expects serious delays in processing of inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel post and EMS items) from 19 March 2020 until further notice.  This will have a major impact on operations and, consequently, on quality of service for all types of inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel post and EMS items). Delivery may be performed via methods that restrict direct contact. For all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery, the addressee’s signature may be replaced in the signature field by the postman/postwoman’s signature, together with the delivery code.

• Serbia – Public Enterprise Post of Serbia has made organizational changes regarding the acceptance, processing and delivery of all inbound and outbound mail products (letter-post, parcel post and EMS items), and the changes made will affect domestic and international quality of service.  For this reason, Public Enterprise Post of Serbia cannot guarantee service delivery standards during the current state of force majeure, and will be able to do so only once the situation has returned to normal.

• Croatia – A special process for postal items subject to signature upon delivery has been introduced as from Wednesday, 18 March 2020.  For registered or insured items, parcels and EMS items, the item will be placed in the addressee’s mailbox or deposited at the front door of their house or flat. In the signature field, the postman will enter “C-19” to indicate that the item has been delivered without the recipient’s signature.

• Austria – The Austrian government has extended the measures aimed at slowing the pandemic spread of the corona virus, Covid-19. Postal services will be affected by the regulatory measures. The measures will be in effect at least until 14th of April 2020 and may be amended from time to time.  As long as these regulatory measures are in place, the Austrian Post will no longer be able to meet all of its contractual obligations, in particular the quality delivery standards, in full.

The United States Postal Service is closely monitoring the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation and continues to follow strategies and measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health departments. The CDC has information available on its website at https://www.coronavirus.gov that provides the latest information about COVID-19. We are sharing the CDC’s guidance to our employees via stand-up talks, employee news articles, messages on bulletin boards, videos and an intranet site directly to employees and within USPS workplaces.

The CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html), the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses), and the Surgeon General have indicated that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread through the mail.  

The Postal Service has so far experienced only minor operational impacts in the United States as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We do continue to have a temporary suspension of the guarantee on Priority Mail Express International destined for China and Hong Kong, which has been effective since Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, due to widespread airline cancellations and restrictions into this area. In addition, customers may see delays in mail and packages destined to China as well as from China, as well as to and from European countries subject to restricted passenger airline travel. The Postal Service is undertaking all reasonable measures to minimize the impact to our customers.

In addition, the Postal Service is an essential service for purposes of its compliance with state or municipality shelter-in-place orders or other social distancing restrictions. The Postal Service delivers medications, social security checks, and is the leading delivery service for on-line purchases. The statute that created the Postal Service begins with the following sentence. “The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by an Act of Congress, and supported by the people.” 39 U.S.C. §101(a).

On March 18, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended some or all mail services:

• Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Postal Service has advised that the government has suspended all international flights. Therefore, the processing of all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items will be suspended from March 20, 2020, through April 12, 2020.
• French Polynesia: OPT PF – FARE RATA has advised that it is currently unable to accept letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items until March 31, 2020.
• Lebanon: LibanPost has advised that all passenger flights to and from Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport have been suspended until March 29, 2020. Owing to this situation, LibanPost will be unable to offer outbound mail services (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) to international destinations.
• Maldives: Maldives Post has advised that it is suspending the processing of all inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items until March 28, 2020.
• Mongolia: Mongol Post, has advised that all international flights to and from Ulaanbaatar are suspended until March 30, 2020, or later. Mongol Post is temporarily closing its international mail center until April 1, 2020.
• Tunisia: La Poste Tunisienne has advised that all international flights in and out of Tunisia have been suspended. Therefore, the processing of all letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items will be suspended until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.

As a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

Additionally, the following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Chile: CorreosChile has advised that the following service changes are in affect for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items:

1. 1. Owing to a lack of international air transport capacity, international outbound mail has been suspended to all countries except Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay;
   2. International inbound mail addressed to Easter Island will no longer be accepted;
   3. There will be delays in the processing and delivery of international inbound mail;
   4. Signature on delivery for international inbound mail will be suspended and replaced by delivery methods that limit direct physical contact.

• Germany: Deutsche Post has announced changes for all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery. Beginning March 13, 2020, items that would ordinarily require the addressee’s signature can now be deposited in the addressee’s mailbox or in a secure location on their premises, with signature by the mail carrier on their portable device. In cases where items are delivered to the recipient in person, the mail carrier will likewise sign on the recipient’s behalf.
• Honduras: Empresa de Correos de Honduras (Honducor) has advised that the entire territory of Honduras is under quarantine until at least March 21, 2020, or later. As a result, Honducor significantly reduced its workforce across the logistics chain the distribution of international mail will be subject to major delays until the situation returns to normal.
• Jamaica: Jamaica Post has advised that from March 18, 2020, through March 24, 2020, Jamaica Post will be implementing a restructured operations program and will be unable to guarantee delivery standards for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items, owing to adjusted operating hours of post offices and postal agencies. Customers should expect delays.
• Philippines: Philippine Postal Corporation has advised that an enhanced community quarantine has been imposed in Metropolitan Manila and rest of Luzon island and several areas on Visayas and Mindanao islands, effective through April 12, 2020. Philippine Postal Corporation it will operate as follows during the community quarantine:

1. 1. International mail processing centers will maintain a skeleton staff, in order to accept incoming mail until the total lockdown of international air and sea transport on March 20, 2020.
   2.   All post offices in areas placed under quarantine are closed.

• Romania: Poșta Română has advised that new travel restrictions have led to massive cancellations of international flights. Owing to the suspension of air services to a number of international destinations, Poșta Română‎ is facing difficulties sending international postal items, and delays are to be expected for all types of inbound and outbound letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

Please see the most recent USPS Industry Alert, DMM Advisory and additional information received from the UPU concerning service impacts due to COVID-19:

• Lebanon –  The processing of all inbound and outbound international mail conveyed via passenger air transport has been suspended until further notice.

• Maldives – Suspended the processing of all inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) from 19 to 28 March 2020. This will have a major impact on operations and, consequently, on quality of service for all types of mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items). The disruption is expected to continue until the epidemic is over.

• Philippines – As part of the enhanced community quarantine in Metropolitan Manila and rest of Luzon island, a total lockdown of international air and sea transport will be imposed with effect from 20 March 2020. Domestic air, land and sea transport in areas subject to community quarantine have been under total lockdown since 13 March 2020.

In view of this situation, Philippine Postal Corporation will operate as follows during the community   quarantine, from 13 March to 12 April 2020:

1. 2020. International mail processing centres will maintain a skeleton staff, in order to accept incoming international dispatches until the total lockdown of international air and sea transport on 20 March 2020.
   2021. All post offices in areas placed under quarantine are closed. 

• Chile – International inbound mail addressed to Easter Island will no longer be accepted; There will be delays in the processing and delivery of international inbound mail; Signature on delivery for international inbound mail will be suspended and replaced by delivery methods that limit direct physical contact.

• Tunisia – Suspended all international flights arriving in and departing from Tunisia, owing to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with effect from 18 March 2020 and until further notice. La Poste Tunisienne is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure and ceasing to accept letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.
• French Polynesia – Unable to  accept letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items from any Union member countries.  OPT PF – FARE RATA is thus declaring a case of force majeure and ceasing, with immediate effect, to accept letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items from any Union member countries until 31 March 2020.
• Honduras – Correspondence of all kinds will not be handled according to the usual delivery times and quality measurement requirements. 

• Jamaica – Implementing a restructured operations programme. This will have an impact on the processing of all inbound and outbound mail, as follows:
  • Inability to guarantee delivery standards for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items, owing to adjusted opening hours of post offices and postal agencies.

• Germany – In order to limit the spread of the coronavirus and in the interest of the health and safety of Deutsche Post staff, special processes have been put in place for postal items subject to signature upon delivery as from Friday, 13 March 2020.  Parcels and registered items that would ordinarily require the addressee’s signature can now be deposited in the addressee’s mailbox or in a secure location on their premises, with signature by the postman/postwoman on their portable device. In cases where items are delivered to the recipient in person, the postman/postwoman will likewise sign on the recipient’s behalf. These measures are aimed at avoiding contact between the recipient and the portable device.

• Romania – Travel restrictions have led to massive cancellations of international flights. Owing to the suspension of air services to a number of international destinations, Poșta Română‎ is facing difficulties sending international postal items, and delays are to be expected for all types of inbound and outbound mail (letter post, parcels and EMS). This will have a major impact on operations and, consequently, on quality of service.
• Cayman Islands –  Suspended all international flights arriving in and departing from the jurisdiction, owing to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  With immediate effect, Cayman Islands Postal Service is unable to accept further inbound mail, and will be unable to send outbound mail from 20 March 2020 to 12 April 2020. It is therefore declaring a situation of force majeure and ceasing to accept letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.

On March 17, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have suspended some or all mail services:

• Kuwait: Kuwait Postal Sector has suspended all inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items) until further notice.
• Moldova: Posta Moldovei has suspended all inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) until further notice.
• Norway: Posten Norge AS has advised that it is unable to send letter mail to all countries outside the European Union except for the following: Arab Emirates, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Great Britain, Iceland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand and Turkey.
• Peru: Servicios Postales del Perú – SERPOST S.A, has suspended all delivery of domestic and international mail for 15 days, and Jorge Chavez International Airport has been closed. Therefore, postal services in Peru are suspended until March 30, 2020.

As a convenience for our customers, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined for the aforementioned countries. This mail will be held within our network and will be delivered once mail service is restored.

Additionally, the following countries have announced service disruptions:

• Estonia: Estonian Post has advised that it has suspended signature on delivery for inbound items. Where possible, items will be delivered to mailboxes; otherwise, they will be delivered in person, but without signature. The courier will enter the recipient’s name in the handheld device, but in place of the signature, there will be the indication “Courier”. This temporary measure will last until further notice.
• Latvia: Latvijas Pasts has advised that the processing of all inbound and outbound international mail conveyed via passenger air transport has been suspended until further notice. Latvijas Pasts will strive to find alternative means to convey its outbound mail by truck or cargo air transport. However, there may be significant delays in the meantime. For preventive purposes, shipments are stored in a warehouse for 72 hours prior to transport. Customers should expect delays.
• Luxemburg: Post Luxembourg has advised that delivery will be conducted via methods that restrict direct contact. For all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery, the addressee’s signature will be replaced by the mail carrier’s signature, together with the delivery code, in the signature field.
• New Zealand: New Zealand Post has announced changes for all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery. Effective immediately, the mail carrier will ask for the recipient’s name (to record proof of delivery), and leave the item on the doorstep. The person receiving the item will not sign for the delivery directly. If no one comes to the door and there is no Parcel Leave service in place, the carrier will leave a card with details of the delivery, and return the item to the Post Office. This temporary measure will remain in effect until further notice.
• Panama: Correos de Panama has advised that it is currently unable to send outgoing mail (letter-post, parcel-post or EMS items) to the following destinations: Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania; Certain Latin American countries (Argentina, Aruba, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, Bolivia).
• Additionally, delays are expected in the delivery of all inbound items to addressees in Panama.
• Portugal: CTT Correios de Portugal has announced changes for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery. Effective immediately, the mail carrier will ask the recipient for their given name and family name, and will enter this information, followed by “CV19”, in the signature field on the handheld device. This temporary measure will remain in effect until further notice.
• Slovenia: Pošta Slovenije has advised that significant delays are to be expected for all inbound and outbound letter post, parcel post and EMS items until the end of the epidemic. Furthermore, should the situation worsen, it will be forced to temporarily suspend the acceptance of mail for destinations outside Slovenia to which transport is not available.
• Spain: Correos y Telégrafos has advised that many airlines have cancelled their flights to Madrid. As a result, the distribution of international mail will be subject to major delays until the situation returns to normal.

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

For the latest news regarding international service disruptions, visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and DMM Advisories are available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com)

On March 16, 2020, the Postal Service™ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

• Australia: Australia Post has advised that written proof of delivery is suspended, until further notice, for inbound items.
• Austria: Austrian Post has advised that significant delays are to be expected in the delivery of all inbound mail until April 14, or until regulatory measures are lifted. As a result, customers should expect delivery delays for all letters and parcels.
• Cyprus: Cyprus Post has advised that significant delays are to be expected in the delivery of all inbound letter-post, parcel-post and Express Mail Service (EMS) items. Postal items that would ordinarily require written proof of delivery may, with the addressee’s consent, be deposited in the addressee’s mailbox or in a secure location on the addressee’s premises, with signature by the mail carrier.
• El Salvador: Correos de El Salvador has advised that it will need to reduce its workforce across the logistics chain. As a result, customers should expect delivery delays for all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items.
• Lithuania: Lithuania Post, has advised that all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery will be delivered to customers indirectly. Consequently, it will not be mandatory for mail carriers to collect and provide written proof of delivery.
• Netherlands: PostNL has advised that all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery will no longer be signed at the time of delivery. For these items, the mail carrier will ask the recipient for the last three digits of the recipient’s ID reference number, and this information will be entered by the carrier in the signature field on their handheld device. This temporary measure will be effective until further notice.
• Saudi Arabia: Saudi Post has advised that all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items requiring signature on delivery will be delivered to customers indirectly. The mandatory written proof of delivery will be suspended and instead delivery will be based on a code sent to the addressee’s mobile phone.
• The service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

In order to ensure operational continuity and to keep connecting the world with a high-quality service, DHL will temporarily and until further notice levy an Emergency Situation Surcharge to all Time Definite International (TDI) shipments.

This surcharge is NOT applicable to Day Definite International (DDI – road) or Time Definite Domestic (TDD) shipments. It also does not apply to DHL’s Life Science and Healthcare customers and DHL Medical Express (WMX) shipments.

DHL kindly asks you to ensure your invoice approval cycles and process have been updated to avoid any delays.

DHL is prepared to take operational measures in the event that DHL sites are specifically affected. These are aimed at limiting the consequences for the delivery of services and at least protecting other parts of our company. With regard to the Benelux, we are currently only experiencing consequences from and to those areas abroad that are designated as risk areas. In some cases, the local government has implemented strict controls to prevent the spread of the disease. In such cases, the collection, delivery and storage services of all carriers are suspended.

From the outset, UPS has maintained delivery services except where limited by government restrictions. We have also worked in partnership with governments around the world to obtain exceptions that allow our shipments to continue in restricted areas. Further, we have actively supported customers and partners by providing in-kind transport of more than 4 million masks and other medical supplies to mainland China to address the outbreak.

Importantly, the WHO and U.S. CDC have stated that the likelihood of the COVID-19 virus contaminating cardboard or other shipping containers is low. If there is a concern, disinfecting the shipment or using protective apparel when unwrapping the container will reduce the risk of exposure.

In addition to tracking your deliveries on UPS.com, where available, you can sign up for UPS My Choice. With the free UPS My Choice, you can tell your UPS driver where to leave your deliveries, redirect your deliveries to another address, and receive notifications on when to expect your deliveries from UPS.

For more details see UPS site.

As the world adjusts to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), first and foremost, we are being guided by the recommendations of the CDC, WHO and other leading health organizations. We are applying these recommendations to the more than 475,000 FedEx team members around the world who power our network. As such, we have taken a variety of actions, including:

• Educating team members about the virus and sharing resources on how to keep the workplace clean
• Encouraging team members to use good hygiene practices, including frequent handwashing
• Reinforcing education and hygiene with regular workplace communications and reminders
• Extending our safety precautions to the point of delivery
• Temporarily suspending signature required for most deliveries in the U.S. Except for shipments with adult signature required, physical signature not required for:
  – FedEx Express (U.S. and Canada)
  – FedEx Ground (U.S. and Canada)
  – FedEx Freight (U.S.)
  – FedEx Office in-store (U.S.)
  – FedEx SameDay City (U.S.)
• For more details see the FedEx site.

Temporary Surcharges for FedEx Express International Services

As you may have heard, on April 6, 2020, FedEx implemented a temporary surcharge on all FedEx Express® and TNT international parcel and freight shipments due to the COVID19 restrictions that are disrupting the global supply chain.

FedEx continues to deliver much-needed goods and services around the world during the global pandemic.

For more information on the FedEx response to COVID-19, click here.

See surcharge details here.

What you should do if these temporary surcharges apply to you: Please ensure that your management, development, and support staff are aware of this information concerning the Temporary Surcharge changes for FedEx Express International Services.

For FedEx Ship Manager® Server: Customers must be on FedEx Ship Manager Server versions 15.09, 16.07, 17.04, or 18.01 to receive accurate rate quotes for the Temporary Surcharge.

For FedEx Web Services: The surcharges will automatically be reflected as part of the total rate quote provided.

Support information: If you have any questions, contact the Technical Support Center at 1.877.FDX Assist 1.877.339.2774, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST.

Where to find the updates? Be sure to click here to:

• Obtain general FedEx shipping rate information
• Learn how to use FedEx rate tools
• Get answers to frequently asked questions

Following the direction of the Public Health Agency of Canada, we continue to introduce new safety measures to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Until further notice, these safety measures will now include a change to how we deliver the door-to-door items that normally require a signature.

To help minimize points of close contact in our communities, we will no longer be requesting signatures for any deliveries to the door. This will eliminate the need for scanners and stylus pens to be passed back and forth during the delivery process of these items.

Instead, where possible, our delivery agents will apply our safe drop process. This means they will leave these items in your mailbox or outside your door if it’s safe to do so. Where it’s not possible to safe drop, our delivery agent will leave a notice card indicating the post office where you can pick up your items by showing proof of identity.

For more details see the Canada Post site.