This week’s bulletin contains the latest information about France, Grenada, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Madagascar, Maldives, Moldova, Mongolia, Tunisia.

France

The designated operator of France, La Poste, informs of developments with regard to the COVID-19 situation since 10 July 2020.

Given the continuing uncertainty as to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, the French health authorities have implemented transitional measures to lift the state of sanitary emergency, effective from 11 July 2020. The state of sanitary emergency will, however, be maintained in French Guiana (973) and Mayotte (976), according to a governmental decree, until 30 October 2020.
In accordance with the transitional regime for the lifting of the state of sanitary emergency, the French Government may, from 11 July until 30 October 2020 inclusive, issue decrees implementing various measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, with a view to regulating:

• the movement of people and vehicles, as well as conditions for access to public transport (e.g. wearing of masks);
• the re-opening of establishments open to the public (e.g. social distancing measures);
• gatherings and meetings in public areas and on public premises.

The process of lifting lockdown measures on business premises and in public establishments is underway, in accordance with the general prevention principles applicable to health and safety at work. Thus, given the ongoing risks of the pandemic, La Poste remains obligated to ensure compliance with social distancing and hygiene measures, both among its staff (management of flows of people) and between staff and customers:

• by implementing collective protective measures;
• by adapting the opening hours and operations of its processing and distribution centres, and its post offices;
• by avoiding the risk of hand-borne contamination;
• by implementing measures to protect staff, in line with the applicable protocol drawn up by the Ministry of Labour.

Nevertheless, La Poste wishes to report a number of notable improvements in the situation as follows:

• All activities are gradually resuming across its network, except in French Guiana and Mayotte;
• All of La Poste’s post offices will be open to the public during July and August.

However, owing to the emergence of more than 300 clusters of new cases since the lockdown measures began to be lifted and to the application of these new transitional measures, compliance with delivery standards and times still cannot be guaranteed. The processing and delivery of mail may still be subject to delays throughout the country.

Furthermore, despite an increase in international transport capacity and more frequent direct flights, La Poste still cannot accept unauthorized closed transit letter-post, parcel-post and EMS dispatches, either for its overseas territories or for international destinations.

Accordingly, the restrictions regarding service standards will continue to apply and the situation of force majeure will remain in force until 30 September 2020.

Grenada

The designated operator of Grenada, Grenada Postal Corporation, informs that it has resumed full business operations following the curfew and closure of Grenada’s borders. It is now able to receive and send mail regionally and worldwide. However, some regional airports are still closed, which may affect delivery of mails.

Israel

The designated operator of Israel, Israel Postal Company, informs that, owing to the emergence of more new cases of COVID-19 in Israel, restrictions regarding addressee signatures and physical distancing between staff and customers remain in place, there is still a shortage of postal staff throughout the country, and the return to normal has been suspended.
Consequently, delays may still occur in the processing and delivery of all types of letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items.
Regarding outbound mail, the processing of items may still be subject to delays due to the cancellation and reduction of flights.
Consequently, the restrictions set out in previous Incident Bulletin regarding addressee signature, service standards and application of force majeure remain in place. 

Jamaica

The designated operator of Jamaica, Jamaica Post, informs that it has resumed the sending of outbound dispatches to the following destination countries, in addition to the United States of America and Trinidad and Tobago, with effect from 6 July 2020:

Caribbean region

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Barbados
• Curaçao
• Dominican Republic
• Saint Lucia
• Sint Maarten

North American region

• Bahamas

South American region 

• Costa Rica
• Guatemala
• Honduras (Rep.)
• Mexico
• Nicaragua
• Peru

The outbound mail restrictions previously announced remain in effect for Caribbean, North American and South American destinations not listed above and for all destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

Jamaica Post will resume outbound and transit services as soon as regular operations can be confirmed with postal administrations and transport capacity becomes available with partner airlines. 

Japan – weather issues

Start date:  10 July
End date: Ongoing

Japan Post has informed that the country is experiencing heavy rains and massive flooding. The postal network has been severely affected and some post offices have been closed. Some roads are also inaccessible to traffic, which is delaying the delivery of mail and parcels.

The affected areas are in the following postcode ranges (as of 10 July 2020):

Nagano: 3800000–3999999
Gifu: 5000000–5099999
Shizuoka: 4100000–4399999
Aichi: 4400000–4989999
Nara: 6300000–6399999
Kyoto: 6000000–6299999
Osaka: 53000000–5999999
Hyogo: 6500000–6799999
Wakayama: 6400000–6499999
Ehime: 7900000–7999999
Yamaguchi: 7400000–7599999
Fukuoka: 8000000–8399999, 8710000–8710999
Saga: 8400000–8499999
Kumamoto: 8600000–8699999
Oita: 8700000–8799999
Nagasaki: 8500000–8599999, 8115000–8115999, 8170000–8179999
Kagoshima: 8900000–8999999

Japan Post is making every effort to maintain the universal postal service and continue providing all international postal services, including EMS and parcels, and apologizes in advance for the unavoidable delays

Madagascar

The Government of Madagascar has reinforced the confinement measures for the region of Analamanga (Antananarivo) until 20 July 2020.
In the capital, in order to minimize person-to-person contacts, personal movements are strictly limited and public transport is suspended.
Consequently, post offices in the capital are operating with a minimum level of service only. Mail delivery rounds are suspended until further notice. EMS items will, however, continue to be delivered during post office opening hours (8.00-11.30), and post office box delivery will continue to be provided.
Under these circumstances, Paositra Malagasy is currently unable to guarantee quality of service for inbound and outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items), or to meet standards for export and delivery of EMS items.

Maldives

The designated operator of the Maldives, Maldives Post, informs that operational activities have been partially restored as of 5 July 2020, in spite of COVID-19 social distancing measures. Most economic activities have now resumed, subject to certain restrictions.

Outbound mail items (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS)
Owing to the suspension and cancellation of many flights to and from the Maldives, severe delays are to be expected for all outbound airmail until sufficient transport capacity becomes available following the airlines’ resumption of operations on 15 July 2020. Therefore, Maldives Post is not accepting international letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items for any destination until the situation returns to normal.

Inbound mail items (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS)
Since 3 June 2020, and until further notice, the international mail processing centre has been operating with a limited workforce for the processing of incoming international dispatches. This means that Maldives Post is still unable to guarantee quality of service and delivery standards for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items, and the case of force majeure already invoked remains in force. The disruption is expected to continue until the epidemic is over.

Signature on delivery is suspended for all letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items. However, tracked confirmation of deliveries will be provided via the usual tracking event scans for products that allow tracking.

Moldova

The designated operator of Moldova, S.E. “Poșta Moldovei”, informs that it has now officially resumed outbound services with the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain (Kingdom), Bangladesh, Canada, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Tunisia and Uzbekistan.
These are in addition to the destinations already listed in previous Incident Bulletin (Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria (Rep.), China (People’s Rep.), Croatia, Czech Rep., Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay and Viet Nam).
Furthermore, Poșta Moldovei would like to inform that as from 1 July 2020, certain airlines have resumed regular flights to and from Moldova. 

Mongolia

The designated operator of Mongolia, Mongol Post,  informs that it is able to exchange outbound and inbound international airmail (letter post, parcel post and EMS) via Tokyo, Seoul, Istanbul and Frankfurt in July 2020. 

Tunisia

The designated operator of Tunisia, La Poste Tunisienne, informs that, following the partial resumption of commercial flights operated by the national airline “Tunisair”, since 27 June 2020, La Poste Tunisienne has progressively resumed the provision of an outbound service for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items to the destinations indicated via the link http://www.poste.tn/dcpi.php, which also contains the dates of resumption of the flights to the destinations concerned. The list will be updated in due course in accordance with Tunisair’s flight plan.
La Poste Tunisienne is accepting inbound mail originating from all countries, and is delivering it in accordance with the measures put into place by the Tunisian government to limit the spread of COVID-19. The service for transit in closed dispatches via Tunisia for letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items is, however, temporarily unavailable.
While every effort is being made to progressively resume domestic and international postal services, La Poste Tunisienne continues to be unable to guarantee delivery deadlines and quality standards for all types of products, in accordance with the force majeure declared on 17 March 2020. This will continue to be the case until services and regular flight plans to all destinations have resumed as normal.