USPS® Provides Updates Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic
In response to the recent events brought on in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USPS has released a series of statements regarding their operations during this time. First and foremost, as an entity of the Federal Government the USPS is designated as an essential function under federal law during times of emergency. Essential goods and information such as “medications, social security checks, and on-line purchases” must continue to be delivered.
As of March 24th, the USPS maintains they have only experienced “minor operational impacts in the United States” as a result of the pandemic. Among these minor impacts is the “temporary suspension of the guarantee on Priority Mail Express International destined for China and Hong Kong,” and the potential for customers to see delays in mail and packages destined to or from China, Europe, and other countries subject to restricted passenger airline travel.
Concerning Business Mail Entry for mailers, the USPS put out a statement on March 25th confirming they are committed to identifying solutions “in an effort to provide the continuity of Commercial Mail Acceptance where a mailer’s production or facility is impacted due to COVID-19.” They recommend impacted mailers should complete the COVID-19 Mailer Diversion Notification and Request Log posted here: https://postalpro.usps.com/covid-diversion-notification and submit it to the local Manager, BME and HQMailentry@usps.gov. Additionally, impacted mailers should follow the guidelines outlined in the Business Mail Entry COVID-19 Contingency Plan which can be located on PostalPro here: https://postalpro.usps.com/covid-bme-contingency.
The USPS continues to maintain that they are “undertaking all reasonable measures to minimize the impact to customers,” and that they are monitoring the situation closely and following CDC recommended strategies. When it comes to the safety of mail and packages received, they stress that both the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the WHO (World Health Organization) maintain there is no evidence the virus is spreading through the mail.
Now more than ever it is critical to stay up to date on the latest industry news. Rest assured, you can count on BCC Software to deliver updates when they are made available. To stay informed make sure you are subscribed to our monthly eBulletin as well as our Industry Corner Podcast, available on our website at bccsoftware.com and wherever you listen to podcasts.
To view the official USPS statement regarding COVID-19, click here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/statements/usps-statement-on-coronavirus.htm
Additional Resources:
https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/pdf/usps-continuity-of-operations-03-19-2020.pdf
