USPS says free tests will be delivered in a ‘timely and efficient manner’

There have been delays in mail deliveries for two years across the Lehigh Valley, but postal officials said Tuesday they’re confident residents will soon receive the free COVID-19 rapid tests they have ordered through the federal government.

“Test kits coming to the Lehigh Valley will probably either come from Philadelphia, or a possible site in Phillipsburg, New Jersey,” said Andy Kubat, president of the Lehigh Valley Area Local American Postal Workers Union. “The kits are going to be packed and shipped from those facilities and they should move through the system pretty easily.

“There won’t be any issues with postage; there won’t be any issues with unreadable addresses. As long as the addresses are good, they should flow pretty well.”

President Joe Biden announced last week his administration’s plan to send four free COVID-19 rapid tests to every American household. The effort, which some Lehigh Valley health experts say may be too late to ease the current surge, comes on the heels of an already strained postal system exacerbated by the pandemic.

Mail delays have been common across the region. Early last year, an audit found managers at the Lehigh Valley’s main post office facility failed to process mail according to procedures and received mail from other facilities late. Then, in October, the service implemented new service standards, which caused longer delivery times for some mail.

The next month, The Morning Call reported the mail was so slow in Center City Allentown that one resident didn’t get her mail-in ballot until after Election Day.

However, Kubat said he’s not seeing delays at the processing plant or at the parcel support annex, saying they’re “current” at both of those facilities.

And, the amount of postal employees calling out sick due to the most recent surge has slowed, he said.

“We had our share of COVID cases within the service, as everyone else had,” Kubat said. “I think that’s starting to wane a bit. We’re getting fewer and fewer cases. That’s always a good thing.”

Biden announced in December the federal government would buy more than half a billion tests that it would provide to Americans free of charge. The government last week launched a website, covidtests.gov, to process orders, which are fulfilled through the U.S. Postal Service.

The White House said “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering ”through USPS, which reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental U.S.

Dave Partenheimer, director of public relations for USPS, said carriers have begun delivery tests, and pointed to the busy holiday season to show how the agency has worked effectively to get mail delivered in a timely fashion.

“USPS accepted more than 13.2 billion mailpieces and packages this holiday season with an average delivery time of less than three days during the 2021 holiday peak season,” Partenheimer said. “The strategies that yielded improvements to our peak season performance will allow the Postal Service to distribute test kits efficiently nationwide.

“These strategies, including additional staffing, an investment in new processing equipment and operational efficiencies, and an expanded facility footprint, mean test kits can get to the Americans who want them in a timely and efficient manner.”

Asked about reports of delayed mail deliveries, he said the service continues “to address some localized delays caused by weather and other factors.”

Paul Smith, a Philadelphia-based spokesperson for the service, said it’s “been an extraordinary year of unprecedented challenges given the COVID-19 pandemic. A job fair has been scheduled in the Valley in early February to reinforce the local workforce.

“Post offices in the Lehigh Valley area have taken steps to address issues caused by the pandemic by using additional carriers from nearby offices, authorizing overtime and continue to hold job fairs to try and staff accordingly,” Smith said.

Smith did not answer questions about how many days on average mail is delayed in the Lehigh Valley, how many complaints the agency has received about late deliveries across the region, and the reasons why deliveries have been delayed here.

Louis DeJoy, postmaster general and CEO, said the service’s 650,000 workers are “ready to deliver and proud to play a critical role in supporting the health needs of the American public.”

“We have been working closely with the administration and are well-prepared to accept and deliver test kits on the first day the program launches,” he said.

Officials encourage residents to call 1-800-ASK-USPS with concerns or questions.