Royal Mail has published a list of 28 areas in the UK that are no longer receiving regular post because many staff have contracted coronavirus or are self-isolating.
People living in areas such as Daventry, Barnsley, Leeds, Margate and much of London – including Highbury, Wandsworth and Hornsey – are receiving limited deliveries.
Royal Mail said: “Despite our best efforts and a significant investment in additional resources, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery times than our usual service standards.
“This is due to the unusually high volumes we are seeing, exacerbated by the coronavirus-related measures we have put in place at local mail centers and delivery offices to keep our employees and customers safe. In such cases, we are always working hard to get back to providing our usual level of service as quickly as possible. “
Customers have reported delays to postal services on social media sites, including Twitter, in recent days beyond the busy Christmas season.
A number of Royal Mail employees who work at Lincoln’s delivery office are isolating themselves after three confirmed cases at the site. The Margate delivery office carried out a deep clean last week after three staff members tested positive for Covid-19 and around 20 people are now self-isolating.
Delivery issues have raised fears that letters to people over the age of 80 urging them to be vaccinated against the coronavirus will reach them on time.
Ilford in east London is one of the areas where deliveries are limited. Wes Streeting, Labor MP for Ilford North, tweeted on Sunday:
More than half a million letters urging people to get vaccinated will be sent in the coming days. @Courrier Royal the delays have been so bad – because Covid is knocking out staff – that I worry about their arrival. Is there a way to prioritize these letters, @Anime_Help?
– Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) January 10, 2021
List of areas with limited Royal Mail deliveries:
- Ashford (TN23-TN27)
- Barnsley (S70, S71, S72 et S75)
- Basildon (SS13-SS16)
- Arc (E3)
- Bury St Edmunds (IP28-IP33)
- Chelmsford (CM1-CM3)
- Christchurch (BH23)
- Daventry (NN11)
- Debden (IG7-IG10)
- Enfield (EN1-EN3)
- Gray (RM16-RM20)
- Hampton (TW12)
- Highbury (N5)
- Hornsey (N8)
- Horsham (RH12, RH13)
- Ilford (IG1-IG6)
- Leeds City (LS1-LS5)
- Lewisham (SE13)
- Magherafelt (BT45, BT46)
- Margate (CT7-CT9)
- Rugeley (WS15)
- Somerton (TA11)
- South Ockendon (RM15)
- South Woodford (E18)
- Upper Holloway (N7)
- Wandsworth (SW18)
- Wellington (TA21)
- Widnes (WA8)
