MIDDLETON, Idaho — As an essential service amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the United States Postal Service is required to have employees providing mail services to the public. Even so, the USPS has implemented several strategies to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in its offices.
In Middleton, postal service workers in the office lobby sit behind a clear plastic screen so they don’t come in contact with any customers, the Idaho Press reports. In the same office and in post offices across the U.S., there are lines on the floor to ensure customers keep a safe distance from each other.
“When you come into a lobby, you will see we are limiting the number of customers allowed into our facility to 10 at one time,” said a USPS informational video on the coronavirus response. “There may be lines on the floor to help customers keep a safe distance from each other and you may also see a plastic barrier or sheeting at the counter to protect you and the employees.”
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In an email statement, Erica Moss with the USPS western area communications office said, “According to the World Health Organization, “the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, traveled, and been exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.”
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses — which includes MERS, SARS and COVID-19 — and are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets.
The USPS website said it is encouraging frequent hand-washing for employees, the use of hand sanitizer, frequently cleaning work spaces and staying home if sick.
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