August 25, 2021

UPDATE 193: International Mail Service Updates Related to COVID-19

On August 25, 2021, the Postal Service received notifications from various postal operators regarding changes in international mail services due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following countries have provided updates to certain mail services:

Australia UPDATE: Australia Post has advised that, for reasons relating to COVID-19, the Sydney office of exchange will be closed up to 48 hours for deep cleaning to ensure the safety of our staff and others. This closure will have a direct impact on the processing, delivery and handover of all inbound mail items received in Sydney during this period. Australia Post’s offices of exchange in Brisbane and Melbourne will continue to process mail items during this time.

Sri Lanka UPDATE: The Department of Posts has advised that the Government of Sri Lanka has announced a national lockdown from August 21 - 30, 2021. All mail items sent to Sri Lanka will be processed and delivered in compliance with restrictions and safety guidelines imposed by the government in order to prevent the further spread of the pandemic. The processing and delivery of all inbound mail and the transportation of outbound mail will be heavily impacted by the current situation. As a result, the Department of Posts is unable to guarantee compliance with the agreed delivery standards for all mail categories.

Vanuatu UPDATE: Vanuatu Post has advised that the Vanuatu Government has extended the state of emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic until December 31, 2021. Vanuatu Post is able to accept international inbound mail and can export outbound mail. However, postal service quality for international inbound and outbound services and service delivery standards (including delivery times and other quality parameters) cannot be guaranteed until further notice.

Unless otherwise noted, service updates to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

These service updates affect Priority Mail Express International^® (PMEI), Priority Mail International^® (PMI), First-Class Mail International^® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service^® (FCPIS^®), International Priority Airmail^® (IPA^®), International Surface Air Lift^® (ISAL^®), and M-Bag^® items.

The DMM Advisory will continue to provide updates as they are received. For a full list of international service disruptions, please visit https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm