Signature Confirmation Update: 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.
On March 18, 2020, the Postal Serviceâ„¢ received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
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.
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:
- 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;
- 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.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
On March 16, 2020, the Postal Serviceâ„¢ 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.