Postal Updates for Printers During COVID-19

During these turbulent times, there’s a lot of news being shared on multiple platforms. It’s not always easy to discern opinion from fact. The following updates include direct links to the affected agencies’ or companies’ web pages.

2020 National Postal Forum Cancelled – On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the National Postal Forum announced that the 2020 NPF in Orlando, Fla., is cancelled. The next NPF will be May 2-5, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is continuing operations, despite disruptions caused by the earthquakes in Utah and the temporary closing of a facility due to several employees testing positive for the coronavirus.

On Thursday, March 19, 2020, the USPS released a “Continuity of Operations Update”.

Key points in the USPS update include:

• How is USPS handling mail for closed businesses?
  Mail on the delivery route is returned to the Delivery unit and will be held for 10 days under current policies. Customers can request a temporary hold for their mail up to 30 days. Caller Box customers should contact their local office to discuss how they will be handling the pickup of this volume. Any high volume customer will be contacted to discuss pickup options as well.
• How is USPS delivering mail under shelter in place declarations?
  The Postal Service is classified as an essential government service operation, which allows us to continue operations.
• How safe is the mail and mail transport equipment?
  Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidance continues to indicate there is no evidence the virus is spreading through the mail. According to WHO, the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, and the risk of catching the virus from a package that has been moved, traveled, and exposed to different conditions and temperatures is also low. This guidance remains true for mail transport equipment.
• Is the USPS experiencing capacity issues due to reduced airline routes?
  There are no domestic air capacity issues at this time. The Postal Service continues

Postmaster General Megan Brennan has appointed Kristin Seaver, chief information officer and EVP, to lead a dedicated COVID-19 Response Command structure. Seaver addressed the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee to provide an overview of the team and how they are interacting with operations and leadership during the crisis.

The USPS provided guidance for Commercial Mail Acceptance where a mailer’s production or facility is impacted due to COVID-19. The Business Mail Entry Business Continuity plan also impacts companies who may use a presort partner that has closed plants or redirected mail.

The USPS provided guidance for Commercial Mail Acceptance where a mailer’s production or facility is impacted due to COVID-19. The Business Mail Entry Business Continuity plan also impacts companies who may use a presort partner that has closed plants or redirected mail.

For International Mailers, there are more disruptions as countries change service levels, close airports and implement additional controls. Mailers should check the latest Industry Updates before sending any mail overseas.

The latest stimulus bill includes a provision to allow the USPS to borrow an additional $10 billion due to the COVID-19 crisis. Interestingly, the additional debt can only be used for operating expenses and not capital investments - like new delivery vehicles.

Input for this piece was provided by Lois Ritarossi, president of High Rock Strategies:

Lois Ritarossi is the President of High Rock Strategies, a consulting firm focused on sales and marketing strategies, and business growth for firms in the print, mail and communication sectors. Lois brings her clients a cross functional skill set and strategic thinking with disciplines in business strategy, sales process, sales training, marketing, software implementation, inkjet transformation and workflow optimization. Lois has enabled clients to successfully launch new products and services with integrated sales and marketing strategies, and enabled sales teams to effectively win new business. You can reach Lois at lritarossi@highrockstrategies.com.