Posti is prepared for the spread of the coronavirus

Five facts about Posti’s preparedness for the coronavirus

1. Posti monitors the situation daily – exceptional circumstance working group in action 24/7/365

Posti has a multidisciplinary follow-up group that monitors the coronavirus situation daily. The members take part in the work of the follow-up group in addition to their normal duties. The group receives and acquires up-to-date information from the government officials and those responsible for health care services. The follow-up group reports on the situation internally and externally.

Posti’s multidisciplinary group for exceptional circumstances is on call 24/7/365 as the situation requires. The group is led by an exceptional circumstances leader. The task of the exceptional circumstances working group is to ensure Posti’s operations and customer service with the means available and report on the situation internally and externally. The work of the exceptional circumstances working group begins with a national group that can be supported by local groups.

Posti has statutory obligations related to national exceptional circumstances. The objective of the exceptional circumstances working group or groups is to ensure:

- The prioritization of obligations related to general safety: deliveries of blood and laboratory samples and official announcements and other services specified by government officials.

- That the orders and assignments from government officials can be executed.

- That Posti can produce postal services for its customers in accordance with the universal service obligation under the exceptional circumstances.

- That Posti’s operations can be prioritized, if necessary, in such a way that its services can be maintained for as long as possible as expected by government officials and other customers.

In case of a force majeure, Posti contacts the government officials and its other customers. There are a number of situations where this may be the case. For example, if the number of people who have fallen ill because of the virus on the national or regional level becomes so great that the resources planned for the exceptional circumstances are not available, or the movement of people is restricted by guidelines from government officials.

2. Information for customers at Posti’s websites posti.com and posti.fi

Posti informs its customers of the situation on its websites posti.fi and posti.com. Posti reports on the situation once or several times a day, depending on the need.

Posti’s designated customer contact persons will establish a common procedure for exchanging information with their customers.

If the coronavirus disrupts mail delivery, bulletins on the situation will be published on the posti.fi website under “Häiriötiedotteet” (disruption notices, in Finnish).

3. According to the current information, the coronavirus is not spread via postal items

According to THL, the handling of items or food items imported or sent from regions affected by the epidemic do not according to current information present a risk of contagion in Finland. If the situation changes and the government officials issue new information, Posti has the capacity to react to the situation rapidly.

4. Personnel have been instructed on hand and coughing hygiene and travel

Posti has issued instructions to its entire personnel on good hand and coughing hygiene and stresses its importance.

Posti’s personnel have also been issued with instructions in accordance with the travel guidelines provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. As an employer, Posti recommends restricting travel to certain regions and re-evaluating the necessity of work-related travel abroad.

The personnel have also been issued with instructions on how to act if infection is suspected. In such a situation, the occupational health care guidelines are applied.

5. The coronavirus has caused delays to deliveries from China

Items ordered from China will travel in part via exceptional routes and may therefore be delayed. This is because Chinese government officials have set up certain restrictions and airline companies have decided to suspend flights to mainland China and other regions affected by the epidemic. Other deliveries are transported normally.

Currently, the transport of postal items within Finland is not affected by the coronavirus.

Source: Posti