Since early March, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has cancelled four first-day ceremonies because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
On March 13, the Maine Bicentennial Commission postponed the state’s 200th-anniversary celebrations, which were slated to begin two days later and include a first-day ceremony for the “Maine Statehood” Forever stamp.
On March 23, the USPS cancelled three first-day ceremonies based on the guidance of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which is advising against social gatherings of 10 people or more.
The cancellations include dedications for:
- the “Contemporary Boutonniere” and “Garden Corsage” stamps on April 2 in Crestwood, Ky.;
- the “Earth Day” stamp on April 18 in Denver, Colo.; and
- the “American Gardens” stamp on May 13 in Winterthur, Del.
The USPS also stated it “will try to reschedule the dedications at a later date.”
While the first-day ceremonies are cancelled, the stamps are still available for purchase online and at post offices.
The USPS was also slated to issue a Chrysanthemum stamp on April 24 at the now-cancelled Westpex 2020 in Burlingame, Calif.
The postal service’s previous first-day ceremony – for a commemorative stamp honouring golfer Arnold Palmer – was on March 4 in Orlando, Fla.
As of March 25, the United States reported nearly 60,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 800 deaths.