Deliveries on track despite outbreaks
Although a small number of parcel delivery stations have been closed due to the latest COVID-19 outbreaks, China’s parcel delivery network has been operating smoothly in general, the State Post Bureau of China said on Tuesday.
Only a few stations in some regions have been affected, accounting for a small portion of the total number of such outlets.
Reports about express delivery stations being shut down are untrue, the bureau said.
Since Nov 21, an average of 260 million parcels have been collected daily, according to the bureau, and about 270 million have been delivered every day.
According to the bureau, some outlets and couriers have been affected by the epidemic, and part of the industrial chain for certain products has also been affected. It has resulted in package delays in some areas.
A conference to boost unimpeded logistics was held by the bureau on Nov 27, during which it heard concerns shared by parcel delivery companies.
The conference focused on issues such as ensuring the normal operation of postal and express services amid the epidemic control, and also made arrangements for distribution centers, parcel delivery outlets and staff.
The industry’s regulators at all levels have been promoting the sector’s smooth and orderly operation, including unclogging the main logistics network and blocked terminals.
It is also required to improve cooperation with local governments to maintain the facilities’ smooth operation, adding couriers to a white list and arranging permits for parcel delivery vehicles.
China rolled out upgraded measures for epidemic control last month.
The Ministry of Transport has also upgraded optimized measures in the sector, such as correcting excessive measures to curb logistics.
Stringent or excessive epidemic control measures have to be corrected to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on economic and social development and ensure the smooth running of transportation and logistics, Han Jinghua, deputy director of the ministry’s transport department, said at an earlier news conference.
“Simply shutting down transport infrastructure facilities or restraining transport services for epidemic control is prohibited,” he said.
Some provincial-level governments and parcel delivery regulators have issued detailed guidance to ensure the flow of goods.
Last week, the postal bureau in Zhejiang province issued a notice linking the illegal closure of parcel delivery stations to local government assessments.
Heilongjiang province also issued guidance to ensure smooth logistics.
According to the guideline, if parcel delivery stations are affected by the epidemic, targeted measures should be carried out instead of simply shutting down the entire facility. A white list should also be established at the same time to issue permits for relevant staff and vehicles delivering supplies.