Guernsey Post sees 24% jump in parcel deliveries
ESSENTIAL items are being delivered by post in greater quantities following the lockdown.
An increase in parcel deliveries has been recorded by Guernsey Post.
Mainly perishable and essential items are being ordered.
‘We are currently experiencing an increase of approximately 24% in parcel delivery volumes, running close to 70% of the typical volume we might see at Christmas,’’ said a Guernsey Post spokesman.
The majority of parcels are coming from the UK.
Additional staff and its full-time employees are handling the increase.
‘Six part-time staff that we employed for the recent Mother’s Day peak have continued to work with us to assist. Our own staff are working significant additional hours to keep up to date with the additional volume.’
Some may have noticed postal deliveries arriving on Sundays.
This was arranged due to cancelled sailings and tidal conditions.
‘We implemented Sunday deliveries to help manage the volumes of parcels that had been delayed due to weather disruption last week,’ the spokesman said.
‘Our delivery staff are working staggered shifts to reduce the number of staff in Envoy House at any one time.’
Social distancing measures are in place for all staff, ‘including our office-based staff, many of whom are working from home or are being redeployed in critical roles such as customer services’.
‘We have taken a number of steps to create some distance between our delivery staff and our customers, including delivery to safe places and signing for parcels on their behalf.’
Leaflets were supplied to be displayed at the front of properties so posties know if people are home and parcels can be left on the doorstep.
Additional safety measures are in place.
‘Since the government lock-down we have suspended our eBox service and our mail collection counter is closed. If customers miss their delivery and there is no safe place for us to leave it we will bring the parcel back to Envoy House.’
Customers can then arrange a redelivery on the Guernsey Post website.
According to the UK government there is no perceived increase in risk for handling post.
Public Health England advised that there is nothing to suggest that surfaces outside the human host, such as mail packages, have the ability to transmit the virus.