Couriers step up anti- epidemic efforts after cluster infections in Beijing

Beijing’s parcel delivery service has been partly affected due to the latest cluster of COVID- 19 infections at a courier service station in Fangshan district, southwestern Beijing, on Saturday.

A staff worker of another express company ZTO’s branch in Chaoyang district said on Sunday that the company’s operations in the region have been affected. “Though parcels are now processed normally, the delivery service has been halted in some areas,” the worker said.

The worker noted that the suspension was caused by mass inspection and disinfection procedures across multiple courier hubs belonging to ZTO, and the measures may be launched due to the cluster infections in Fangshan.

“Chaoyang and Fangshan bear the brunt of the latest wave of Omicron outbreak,” the ZTO staffer said. “Operations in Chaoyang may resume in three to four days after disinfection and inspection is completed.”

Fangshan district on Saturday imposed strict anti- epidemic measures, and suspended bus, subway and car- hailing services.

Beijing officials said on Sunday that there are five more infected cases in Yunda’s cluster infections, taking the total number of the infected to 21.

Officials from Fangshan announced efforts to track more than 200,000 parcels that have the risk of spreading the virus and appealed to the public to report symptoms to local community offices immediately.

“Yunda’s operation in Beijing has been suspended at present due to the cluster infections,” a staff worker from a Yunda branch in Chaoyang district said on Sunday, noting that there was no date for the resumption of delivery services.

The State Post Bureau held a meeting on Saturday and vowed to cooperate with the local government and Yunda to address the cluster infections in Fangshan district promptly.