ADVISORY ALERTS

India Post advises a lockdown due to COVID-19 has been extended until May 31. Limited domestic mail exchanges continue in order to provide essential services. However, with the availability of certain cargo and evacuation flights, outbound express mail and international tracked packet services have resumed. All offices of exchange and airmail units are functional; however India Post cannot guarantee service delivery.

Hongkong Post has temporarily suspended the advice of delivery service for incoming mail items, in order to avoid human interaction in obtaining a signature.

Honduras’ post advises services are suspended until May 31 and asks countries that normally send their mail to Honduras by air cargo or commercial flights not to do so for the time being. An exception can be made for humanitarian aid with the knowledge and prior authorization of the Honduran government.

Curaçao’s post, Cpost International N.V., advises that designated operators can once again dispatch letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items via available airlines. The airport is still closed for regular commercial flights, with the exception of KLM flights. All Cpost International personnel have resumed work and all retail counter services are available again, with the exception of proof of delivery (POD), which will not be provided until further notice. Signatures will no longer be requested for any deliveries, to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Cayman Islands Postal Service advises the government has extended a suspension on international passenger flights until Sept. 1. While this suspension remains in place, the post will operate limited international services.

Botswana Post advises the government ended a national lockdown on May 20 and delivery post offices have reopened for full operations. The post is accepting inbound mail and delivering it in compliance with government-mandated measures to prevent spread of COVID-19. However, most partner airlines have not yet resumed conveyance of outbound international mail. Owing to limited capacity, BotswanaPost is still not able to guarantee delivery standards and the previously announced force majeure situation continues until further notice.

Honducor advises that it has suspended service across the entire supply chain, in accordance it the government lockdown of the entire territory of Honduras will until May 24, 2020 or a later date to be communicated in due course, (from admission of international mail at land and sea borders, and at Ramon Villeda Morales Airport in San Pedro Sula and Toncontin Airport in Tegucigalpa). It therefore asks countries that normally send their mail to Honduras by air cargo or commercial flights not to do so for the time being; otherwise the mails will need to be stored in customs warehouses, generating significant extra costs. An exception may be made for humanitarian aid, which Honducor is able to process with the knowledge and prior authorization of the Honduran Government.

Tajik Post advises that the government has implemented a series of measures, effective from until May 31,2020, to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These measures include the cancellation of all international flights. As this results in a lack of transport capacity, Tajik Post has declared a situation of force majeure, with effect from March 20. 2020, and the shipment of all categories of outbound and transit mail is suspended until further notice. Nevertheless, Tajik Post asks all Union member countries to continue sending their mail dispatches to Tajikistan via air cargo and charter flights, or by any other means of transport that remains possible. Inbound mail to Tajikistan will continue to be delivered as usual.

French Polynesia’s post has resumed all postal services following the full reversal of the lockdown initially implemented to limit the spread of COVID-19. Domestic flights are gradually being reintroduced and domestic maritime routes are operational for destinations that cannot yet be reached by air. As international airfreight flights with France have resumed on a weekly basis, it can now guarantee inbound and outbound international mail to and from France.

Djibouti’s post advises that the government provisionally plans to reopen airports and allow resumption of passenger flights effective Sept. 1. Specific cargo flights are designated for sending mail to the country. The post also is modifying mail delivery procedures. A signature is no longer required upon delivery and items normally requiring a signature will be delivered using methods that minimize direct contact. These measures are aimed at reducing spread of COVID-19 and protecting staff and customers.

Maldives Post is suspending the processing of all inbound and outbound mail in accordance with the extended government lockdown of the Malé region until May 28, 2020 (or a later date to be communicated in due course). International flights to and from the Maldives are suspended until May 31, 2020. Access to postal outlets is subject to restrictions, and steps have been taken to minimize human contact. Quality of service and delivery standards for all types of inbound and outbound mail fall under the already invoked case of force majeure.

Nepal Post advises that the government has further extended the lockdown until June 2, 2020. This, together with the suspension of all incoming international flights until May 31, 2020, is affecting all postal operations.

Belgium’s designated operator, bpost, advises that it is now able to send letter-post and parcel-post items, effective May 12, 2020 onwards, to the following additional destinations: Brazil, Canada, China (People’s Rep.), the Russian Federation and the United States of America. The full list of destination countries is liable to change every day and is available at news.bpost.be/en-corona. Currently, bpost cannot accept letter-post or parcel-post items for destinations to which there is no transport capacity. Owing to limited capacity, bpost is still not able to guarantee delivery standards. Under these circumstances, the force majeure situation previously announced continues

Botswana Postal Services (BotswanaPost), advises that the government lockdown has been extended until May 22, 2020. International flights remain suspended until May 22, 2020. These measures are having a significant impact on the collection, transmission and delivery of all postal products. BotswanaPost is hoping that it will be able to resume its services as of June 1, 2020.

Colombia’s post advises that the government extended mandatory lockdown until May 25, 2020. As an essential service, however, the postal service is currently exempt from restrictions on movement, although this could change in the future. Additionally, they advise that the previously communicated measures affecting operations will remain in place, and will continue to cause significant delays to all inbound and outbound international letter-post, parcel- post and EMS items. Measures on operational and administrative teleworking and flexible working hours will also remain in place. Owing to the continuation of force majeure, the cancellation of international flights and the internal measures taken by countries and their designated operators, it is currently unable to send letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to various member countries.

Estonian Post advises that since May 5, 2020, all inbound items are being delivered as follows: •Delivery standards are not yet fully adaptable, but are as normal as possible; •All courier shipments requiring a signature are delivered to the addressee (there is a photo of the address card signed by the addressee); •Registered letters containing documents are delivered without a required signature to the recipient’s postal box; •All registered small packets are available via pick up points.

Mauritius Post advises that all postal services will resume in accordance with the gradual lifting of the government-mandated curfew, from May 15, 2020 onwards. The acceptance of outbound mail items (letter post, parcel post, and EMS) will no longer be subject to restrictions, but their dispatch to overseas destinations will depend on the availability of flights. Delivery of all postal items will be strictly in line with the national health guidelines laid down by the government. Registered letter-post, parcel-post, and EMS items will be delivered against signature, with social distancing measures applied. However, as the quality of service, including delivery times, still cannot be fully guaranteed, Mauritius Post is continuing to invoke force majeure until June 1, 2020.

Mongol Post advises that the suspension of all international flights to and from Ulaanbaatar is still ongoing. However, MIAT Mongolian Airlines is currently operating weekly cargo flights between Ulaanbaatar and Seoul, Korea (Rep.). Mongol Post therefore requests that partner postal operators send their letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items for Mongolia via Seoul. Mongol Post is operating normally and is ready to deliver all types of mail with minimal delay.

Turkmenpost, advises that the government has introduced a series of measures, initiated on January 29, 2020, until further notice, in order to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Owing to a lack of transport capacity following the cancellation of all international flights, Turkmenpost declared a situation of force majeure with effect from March 18, 2020, and suspended all categories of inbound, outbound and transit mail until further notice.

Chile’s post, CorreosChile, will resume the dispatch of outbound international mail (letters, small packages, parcels and EMS) to the following destinations: Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Rep., Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (China), Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Spain. CorreosChile is currently accepting inbound international mail (letters, small packages, parcels and EMS) while maintaining the situation of force majeure declared, which could still cause delays in delivery times for all inbound and outbound mail.

New Caledonia’s post advises that effective May 14, 2020, the acceptance of inbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) will no longer be subject to restrictions. Additionally, the sending of outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) will resume gradually, according to the transit capacity of the relevant offices of exchange.

Romania’s post, Poșta Română, advises that the state of emergency in Romania is being replaced by a state of alert effective May 15, 2020. Therefore, the situation of force majeure previously declared is being extended until further notice and service delivery standards (including delivery times, and other quality parameters) no longer be guaranteed. The provisions of earlier alerts remain in force.

Samoa Post advises that all postal services remain suspended until further notice. Additionally the Samoan Government has extended the state of emergency until June 2, 2020.

Lebanon’s post advises that it will close its entire postal network for a four-day period beginning the evening of May 13 as the government reinstates a lockdown in response to increasing COVID-19 cases. The post says mail dispatches to Lebanon via air cargo freighters can continue.

Spain’s post advises that the government has extended a state of alert until May 24 to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19. This will continue to have a major impact on operations. Consequently, until further notice, the post remains unable to guarantee the quality of service for all types of inbound and outbound mail and compliance with delivery standards for items requiring a signature. Due to increased use of road transportation and operational conditions imposed by the COVID-19 crisis, there could be delays unloading trucks arriving at the Madrid-Barajas office of exchange. The post is working on plans to gradually resume normal operations over the coming weeks.