Australia’s postal service is experiencing domestic and international delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s taking some extreme measures to cope, including delivering letters in metropolitan areas only every second day.
The country’s federal government provided regulatory relief to Australia Post on Tuesday, which will make temporary changes to delivery standards so that it can “continue to service the broader needs of the community as quickly as possible.”
Domestically, it’s experiencing delivery delays due to a high volume of parcels in its network, and due to a reduction in air freight capacity and restrictions on domestic flights and health & safety measures across its facilities.
The disruptions are also impacting international mail. Last week, Australia Post issued notice of flight disruptions and cancellations impacting all inbound and outbound items to USA, writing: “We expect delays to USA of up to 2 -3 weeks due to flight cancellations and government restrictions because of COVID-19. Express items will be given priority over Standard items during this time.”
In a message on its website, Australia Post wrote, “We are doing everything possible to keep delivering during the Coronavirus pandemic. Most of our Post Offices are still open, while our posties and drivers are working to get your parcels to you. However, the challenges presented by the pandemic mean there are delays as our business adopts additional safety measures to protect our people and customers. Other factors contributing to delays include fewer domestic flights, international delays and increased volumes as more people start shopping online.”
You can keep up to date on the Australia Post website.
Ditto similar delays for inbound packages to NZ. They’re being held at Customs and will be cleared as soon as staff are available after Level-3 lockdown from Wed 29 April