The postal service has had 386 employees test positive for COVID-19 nationwide, according to a spokesperson. One Detroit-area employee died from the virus last week, the local union confirmed.
James Haggarty, president for the Michigan chapter of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, said the three mail processing plants in Detroit, Pontiac and Allen Park are trying to overcome sick workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 and those who are in quarantine as a precautionary measure or who are afraid of contracting the virus at work.
“It’s bad in Detroit right now,” Haggarty said. “With the amount of call-ins, there is a delay but we’re trying to hire some temporary help to help us get the mail out. We’re trying to work through it.”
Last week, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union announced the death of Anthony Smith -- the first known mail handler death attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith worked as a mail handler and forklift driver at USPS Detroit Network Distribution Center in Allen Park. He was a USPS employee for 30 years and a veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 12 years.
Wayne County remains a hotbed for coronavirus with almost 48 percent of Michigan’s 18,970 confirmed cases and almost 48 percent of the state’s 845 deaths.
As of Monday, USPS had 386 of its 630,000 employees nationwide test positive for COVID-19, according to Elizabeth Najduch, a strategic communications specialist for USPS’ Detroit District. She declined to say how many of those employees were in Michigan.
Najduch said USPS is declining interviews at this time, but she confirmed that some Detroit area residents are receiving mail every other day instead of the normal daily delivery due to the impacts of the pandemic.
The postal service is also looking to hire more employees to “continue providing critical postal services to the nation." Hiring is being done on a local basis “as needs dictate,” Najduch wrote in an email to MLive.
As union president, Haggarty represents employees at the processing plants across the state of Michigan. He has heard from employees in the Detroit area who are nervous about getting infected at work and concerned about the cleanliness of their facilities.
Haggarty said they’re having trouble getting enough personal protective equipment for everyone, which has left some workers making their own masks at home. He said management in the Detroit district is trying to get more PPE and is trying to bring in additional cleaning crews for the processing plants but “it’s a process.”
Health officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have said the risk is low for catching COVID-19 from packages or mail. Coronavirus is thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets, according to the CDC.
During the pandemic, the postal service has updated its leave policies to allow employees to stay home whenever they feel sick, or if they must provide dependent care or any other qualifying factor under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
In an agreement with the union, USPS is offering 80 hours of paid leave to non-career employees for issues related to COVID-19, and expanded its definition of sick leave for covered employees to deal with the closures of schools across the country.
The postal service said it continues to follow strategies and measures recommended by the CDC and public health officials. Its efforts include:
Ensuring millions of masks, gloves and cleaning and sanitizing products are available and distributed to more than 30,000 locations every day trough the Postal Service supply chain.
Implementing measures at retail facilities and mail processing facilities to ensure appropriate social distancing, including through signage, floor tape, and “cough/sneeze” barriers.
Changing delivery procedures to eliminate the requirement that customers sign for delivery.
Updated cleaning policies to ensure that all cleaning occurs in a manner consistent with CDC guidance relating to this pandemic.
For its customers, the postal service recommends using usps.com to purchase stamps, order packaging supplies to be delivered to your residence, and scheduling a free carrier pick-up from your house.
“We appreciate the patience of our customers and the efforts of employees as conditions change on a day-to-day basis,” reads a statement from USPS.
CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.
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