Coronavirus in UAE: Emirates Post takes safety measures, begins contactless deliveries

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As of March 17, all deliveries of postal items by Emirates Post will be contactless.

By Staff Report

Published: Wed 18 Mar 2020, 6:18 AM

Last updated: Wed 18 Mar 2020, 10:46 AM

In line with UAE government directives to protect the public and limit the spread of Covid-19, Emirates Post has announced a series of precautionary and rigorous measures to safeguard the health and wellbeing of its staff and customers across the organisation and limit the spread of the coronavirus in the UAE.
Introduction of contactless postal deliveries
As of March 17, all deliveries of postal items by Emirates Post will be contactless. To limit contact, delivery drivers will now place all items outside the intended recipient's door. From a safe distance, couriers will ask recipients to confirm their identity using their full name and ID details in lieu of signatory proof.
Increased capacity
Emirates Post will increase its ecommerce parcel delivery capacity due to the higher number of online orders placed by UAE consumers.
Pick-up options
As a reminder, Emirates Post offers a pick-up service, which enables customers to place an order online for a courier to collect a shipment for dispatch. Emirates Post advises customers to use this service through their online booking tool in light of government guidelines around social distancing.

PO Box renewals
Emirates Post encourages its customers to use our online services for PO Box renewals and new subscriptions with a reminder that the extended deadline for renewals is March 31.
Disinfection
Emirates Post has committed to daily disinfection activities across its operations, from branches (Happiness Centres) to its sorting centres. This includes the loading areas every two hours, and the disinfection of trucks and other transportation vehicles numerous times a day.

While the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the likelihood of contamination through a package that has been moved, travelled, exposed to different conditions and temperatures is low, Emirates Post is currently disinfecting all shipments coming into its sorting centers as an added precaution to combat transmission.

Emirates Post Customer Happiness Centers remain operational

To ensure the continuity of the business, Emirates Post Customer Happiness Centers will remain operational for the time being with no changes to timings. The company has implemented remote working for its administrative roles and activated teleconferencing solutions to facilitate virtual meetings.
Potential service disruptions for international shipments

Emirates Post is also working diligently to reduce any delays or interruptions of postal services and ensure the fulfilment of customers' domestic and international delivery requirements in a responsible manner. With the reduction of flight schedules and cancellations of flights globally, as well as the protocols in place in the country of origin and the final destination of the shipment, there may be a delay in transit times and in the processing and delivery of shipments during this period.
Commenting on the measures, Abdulla M. Alashram Group CEO of Emirates Post Group Company said: "We're working with the relevant government authorities to contain the spread of COVID-19 and are committed to working together to protect the communities that make up this great nation. We stand united in our fight against the transmission of this virus and will take the necessary steps to ensure our customers and our staff are well protected. Health and safety is our utmost priority and these measures, closely adhering to the procedures put in place by the UAE government, seek to reassure our customers and our staff that we are doing everything we can to support our communities in these uncertain times."