Colombia

The designated operator of Colombia, Servicios Postales Nacionales S.A. 4-72, informs that, through Decree 1076 of 28 July 2020, the Colombian Government extended the period of mandatory preventative isolation until 0.00 on 1 September 2020. As an essential service, however, the postal service is currently exempt from restrictions on movement, although this may change in the future. 4-72 will continue to provide domestic and international services in line with the latest developments regarding COVID-19.

In addition, 4-72 wishes to inform of the following:

  • 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 services.
  • Operational staff shifts will remain in place, and administrative staff will continue to work remotely, but on-site work on a shift basis and with flexible working hours will be permitted where required to maintain business continuity.
  • Owing to the continuation of force majeure, the cancellation of international flights, the closure of borders, and the internal measures taken by countries and their designated operators, 4-72 is currently unable to send letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to various member countries. For more information, please visit www.4-72.com.co/node/1761.
  • 4-72 reminds member countries and their designated operators that it is able to offer open and close transit services to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain, the United States of America and Uruguay, subject to a bilateral agreement defining the operational and remuneration arrangements, for all mail services (letter post, parcel post and EMS).

4-72 will continue to provide its services in accordance with the restrictions resulting from the global health crisis, and to take every possible measure to protect its staff and customers.

 

Honduras

The designated operator of Honduras, Empresa de Correos de Honduras ‎‎(Honducor), informs that, in ‎view of the measures adopted by the Honduran Government through an executive order of 2 August 2020 to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the entire territory of Honduras will remain in lockdown ‎until 9 August 2020 (or a later date to be communicated in due course).

 

To minimize human contact and protect its workers, Honducor has decided that it ‎is necessary to suspend the postal service across the entire postal supply chain until 9 August 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.

Honducor received government authorization to proceed with the first phase of reopening on 30 July 2020, and staff are gradually returning to work. Initially, the focus will be on opening dispatches received prior to the declaration of curfew on 16 March 2020, and sorting and delivering those items.

 

Lebanon

The designated operator of Lebanon, LibanPost, wishes to inform that a massive explosion (approximately 2700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate) took place on 4 August in Beirut at around 18.00. The blast was so extensive that several districts of Beirut and its suburbs have been completely devastated. Thousands of people have been injured and more than 80 are reported dead at the time of writing, with many more still missing. The Lebanese Government has declared a two-week state of emergency.

A number of LibanPost employees have been injured, with one in a critical condition and another still reported missing. The homes of some employees have suffered damage and certain of LibanPost’s distribution centres and post offices have been partially or totally destroyed. A special team is currently visiting LibanPost’s various premises to assess the damage and to recover any mail and equipment that can still be salvaged.

Postal operations at the office of exchange, distribution centres and post offices, as well as all support functions including customer services, have been suspended throughout Lebanon, until further notice.

LibanPost will, of course, spare no effort to restore postal services as soon as possible, throughout the country. However, given the scale of the damage caused by the explosion, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the severe underlying economic and financial crisis currently underway in Lebanon, this will not be an easy endeavour.

 

Trinidad and Tobago

The designated operator of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPost), wishes to inform that, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, the country’s borders are currently closed to commercial air and sea traffic.
Authorizations have, however, been given for cargo flights to operate on a limited basis, but postal service quality for international inbound and outbound services and service delivery standards (including delivery time and other quality parameters) applicable under UPU provisions and related bilateral agreements with designated operators cannot be guaranteed until further notice