As public health officials in New Zealand react to the spread of COVID-19 in their country, New Zealand Post is pausing operations at its Collectables and Solutions Centre for at least four weeks.
While existing orders were shipped before the nationwide shutdown was enacted on March 25, new orders won’t be mailed out until at least April 28. Only essential mail can be mailed within New Zealand or internationally during “Alert Level 4,” the highest level of the country’s COVID-19 alert system. While the postal service’s retail outlets are closed, its stamps are still available in essential businesses as well as online.
“Please note that stock levels may vary,” according to the New Zealand Post website.
THE SITUATION IN CANADA
In Canada, meanwhile, Canada Post continues to follow direction from the Public Health Agency of Canada on all matters related to COVID-19.
On March 23, Canada Post made several changes to its operations – including reducing hours of service and encouraging physical distancing – as it continued to “review and quickly adapt our approach with health and safety as our primary goal.”
Other measures include a “knock, drop and go approach” for door delivery, none of which need signatures going forward. Items requiring proof of age, identification or customs payments are sent directly from Canada Post depots to a retail post office for pick-up “with no restrictions on when customers can pick up the item,” the Crown corporation added.
“Our efforts follow the direction and guidance of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Government of Canada’s lead for COVID-19,” a Canada Post representative told CSN this March, adding the Crown corporation “enacted its corporate pandemic plan in late January.”
“As for stamp issues, our customers will be notified of any changes in issue dates.”
Canada Post has also suspended postal services to more than 150 international destinations “at the request of the receiving postal operator or due to the lack of available transportation,” it said in a statement on April 7.
While Canada Post is still accepting letters and parcels for nearly 50 countries, including the United States, 26 of those destinations have only “partial service availability,” according to the postal service.