In order to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19, and to protect Canada post workers, the Canadain Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) asked its customers to clean and disinfect mailboxes, handrails, and door handles everyday, in a press release sent out on Monday.
“People are relying on the postal system to keep the economy going and getting vital goods to their homes,” said Jan Simpson, the national president of CUPW National. “They need to know whether their mail is safe. It’s critical that we do all we can, and we will stay vigilant as the situation develops each day.”
CUPW is also asking Canada Post to implement additional measures for the safety of its workers, such as providing extra personal protective equipment like gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes to clean high touch surfaces.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada early data suggests that COVID-19 can live on surfaces for a few hours, or up to several days depending on the temperature, type of surface, and humidity.
The Public Health Agency said that products shipped from within or outside Canada can be contaminated as well but because items are shipped at room temperature, and can take days or weeks to get to its destination, the risk of getting infected is low. However, they still recommend practicing good hygiene measures when handling shipped items.
Our safety and our health is interconnected,” Simpson said. “We all have a part to play, and we are all literally saving lives when we are careful and thoughtful in our behaviour.”
Last week, Canada Post implemented measures to minimize the risk to its workers by adopting social distancing practices, reduced hours, and item drop offs at the door to avoid customer interactions.
With files from RCI
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