If you are waiting for Canada Post to deliver a package to you, patience is going to be required.
The agency said Canadians can expect slower deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic because more people are shopping online, which has resulted in Canada Post processing and delivering packages at levels that are normally only seen in December.
"We continue to operate across the country and have been delivering in record numbers. For example, on Monday, April 20, we delivered more than 1.8 million parcels to Canadians," Canada Post said in a news release issued Thursday. "That’s similar to the biggest delivery days we see during the Christmas season. Customers should continue to track their parcels online through canadapost.ca or the Canada Post app."
Canada Post said the delivery delays can also be attributed to safety measures it has implemented at its sorting facilities. It said it has had to adapt to physical distancing in facilities that were not designed for keeping employees two metres apart. The result is, it is taking longer to process and sort packages.
The agency is also asking residents to help keep its employees safe during the pandemic. It said it has adopted what it calls a "Knock, Drop, and Go" protocol for package deliveries. Employees will knock on a door, then leave the package at the door, and leave to make the next delivery.
"This change eliminates the need for signatures at the door, speeds up delivery and has greatly reduced the number of parcels sent to our post offices for pickup," it said.
Canada Post has also made changes to protocols surrounding the pickup of parcels at the post office. It has suspended its normal 15-day hold period, allowing people more time to pick up packages. It also said it will not be returning packages that require ID to be shown at pickup to their senders until further notice. It is asking people who have packages to pickup to wait if they are feeling ill or self-isolating.
More information about Canada Post's COVID-19 related service changes can be found here.
