TORONTO — Canada Post says it is no longer providing delivery services for mail and parcels to dozens of countries around the world as the novel coronavirus spreads.
The organization, which is considered an essential service, is taking several steps to protect its workers and other Canadians.
The postal service made the announcement Monday but did not say when the temporary disruption would end. Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Turkey and the Philippines are among the countries affected.
This move will affect mail and parcel delivery to 60 destinations, including:
- Albania
- Argentina
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brunei
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Colombia
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Finland
- French Polynesia
- Greece
- Guadelupe
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Moldova
- Myanmar
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Panama
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Russia
- St. Lucia
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St. Vincent
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- British Virgin Islands
Canada Post has issued four alerts for service interruptions this month alone. Delays are expected for deliveries to Italy, China, Hong Kong and Macau because of changes implemented to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus in those regions.
The postal service says it remains committed to serving Canadians during these “challenging times.” It will review and change its approach to mail service in response to health and safety measures necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada Post is reducing hours of operation by two per day to give employees more time to clean and restock. It is also dedicating the first hour of operation to customers at higher risk of infection, such as elderly people or those with compromised immune systems. Customers are encouraged to use the “Find a Post Office” feature on the Canada Post site to see the locations’ hours of operation.
“We are working to keep our post offices open, but some may close due to building closures beyond our control and some smaller locations may close due to personnel reasons,” Canada Post said in a statement.
The Crown corporation is also introducing new measures for customers using their services during the pandemic. Canada Post is encouraging everyone to stay two metres away from others inside their offices and it may restrict the number of customers in smaller locations. The company is still accepting cash payments, but prefers the use of credit cards for touchless transactions.
Anyone who is feeling sick or self-isolating should stay home to avoid potentially spreading the virus.
More than 375,000 cases and over 16,000 deaths have been reported worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
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