You might be asking yourself this question and you would certainly not be alone in raising this concern.  A number of people are worried about having parcels delivered to their homes, especially from overseas.

The World Health Organization has already said that 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, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low. With more and more people staying at home and relying on deliveries for everyday essentials, as well as those few treats that will make having to be isolated that bit more bearable, what precautionary steps can you take?

What can we do to ensure the safety of our families and those around us?

Firstly, as information and advice changes daily, if you are at all worried you should seek guidance about whether you should be self-isolating and how you can protect against catching Coronavirus from the NHS information pages. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

When considering the question of deliveries, you should also take into account the people delivering your goods. Royal Mail have already put new measures in place. They have advised their staff that signatures are no longer required for special deliveries and signed-for packages.  Your local Postie will now knock or ring your doorbell, scan your parcel, put it on the ground and then step at least 2 meters away to allow you to open your door and collect your parcel while they keep their distance.  This protects not only the resident but also Royal Mail staff from those in households that are self-isolating. Many courier companies are also following suit and will also no longer require a signature.

What options are available for home deliveries?

If you have set up a “safe place” or parcel box for your deliveries, then this can be conveyed to the delivery companies. Households that have postboxes or parcel boxes already in place probably have a good arrangement for their deliveries or a sign can be displayed to say that you would like parcels and mail left for you.  Even friends or neighbors who may be helping with shopping can use your safe place to drop item off for you, so remember to let them know what arrangement you have in place. With some parcel boxes you do not even have to allow anyone onto your property.  You can install a parcel box on your gate then deliveries go in the front and are stored ready for you to collect from inside your gate when you are ready.

What next?

In the coming weeks and months, a lot of people will be changing how they go about their daily lives and for many this will see a rise in the already upward trend of online shopping. Don’t forget that there are an abundance of e-commerce companies out there offering deliveries of everything from groceries to craft kits to keep the kids entertained. Many of these companies are small British businesses and they will be doing everything they can to keep things running as usual to supply people with what they need and keep their customers and staff safe and happy.

So why not get your safe place or delivery arrangements sorted now and enjoy the convenience of online shopping knowing you are both staying safe and supporting businesses at this difficult time.

Pauline- Operations Manager

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