Czech Post prepares contactless mail delivery for those in coronavirus quarantine

Prague, March 11 (CTK) – The Czech Post (CP) has prepared a contactless system of delivering mail and shipments to the people who stay in quarantine over potential coronavirus infection, CP general director Roman Knap said today.

At a separate press conference, Transport Minister Karel Havlicek said the state will earmark 100 million crowns for the purchase of disinfection and protective aids for the drivers and other employees of the private operators of public transport lines and other staff, some 30,000 people in total.

The operators will also be given a manual with Covid-19 prevention instructions, Havlicek said, adding that the cleaning of public transport vehicles and premises has intensified these days.

The manual will be sent to private operators. The state-run firms are under the state’s control, Havlicek added.

The first case of new coronavirus appeared in the Czech Republic on March 1. The state has introduced tough preventive measures, including the closure of schools and the ban of mass events with over 100 participants, on March 10, when the number of coronavirus patients in the country rose by more than 20, to 64.

Talking to media, Knap said that the Czech Post will exceptionally put even registered letters in the addressee’s mail box or keep them at the relevant post office for the addressee to pick in a month.

Since Tuesday, the CP has been distributing flyers with the Health Ministry’s information about new coronavirus to all addresses across the Czech Republic, of which there are about five million. The distribution is to be completed by the end of the week.

To apply the contactless mail delivery, the postmen need the information about addressees staying in quarantine or certain areas being under a quarantine regime.

Postmen and other post officers have received disinfection gels and sprays. The CP has also bought respirators and face masks, but the staff have not used them for the time being.

The CP has 3,200 branches and almost 30,000 employees, including some 7,500 postmen.