Delivering during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How the US Postal

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Delivering during the COVID-19 Pandemic:

How the U.S. Postal Service Kept the Nation Connected

Beginning in March 2020 the United States Postal Service, along with the rest of the world, was

severely challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. As essential elements of our nation’s

infrastructure, postal workers labored under adverse conditions to successfully continue their

mission: providing trusted, affordable mail service to every American. That mission became even

more critical as millions of homebound Americans began ordering everyday necessities online.

The swift delivery of mail and packages — including critical medical supplies and equipment —

was also a key component in the fight against COVID. To keep postal workers safe, a team of top

postal executives met around the clock to quickly create, communicate, and help implement new

policies. Meanwhile, every day, front-line employees risked their health to deliver for America —

and grateful Americans took notice.

Origin of COVID-19 and initial response

We … intend to act calmly and consistently based upon the advice of medical and public health

professionals. If you are sick, stay home and get well.

Postmaster General Megan Brennan, March 2020

In December 2019, reports emerged in China of pneumonia caused by an unknown virus. On January 5, 2020,

the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a cluster of infected patients around the city of Wuhan

suffered fever and shortness of breath. On January 11, the first death was reported in China; two days later, the

first case was reported outside of China. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began

screening passengers from Wuhan entering the U.S. at three major airports on January 17. Three days later the

first case of the disease caused by the virus in the U.S. was confirmed, in Washington state. On January 31,

WHO declared a Global Health Emergency and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a

public health emergency.

In February, WHO announced that the disease caused by the virus had been given an official name — COVID-

19 — and that person-to-person transmission was likely. The first U.S. death caused by the virus was reported

near Seattle, Washington, on February 29. The next day, a postal worker in the Seattle metro area tested

positive for the virus.

U.S. Postal Service, “Coronavirus update: PMG delivers message to employees,” Link news site, March 9, 2020,

https://link.usps.com/2020/03/09/coronavirus-update-2/ (accessed August 16, 2022).

Contents Page

Origin of COVID-19 and initial response 1

USPS COVID-19 Response Command Team 2

Union and management cooperation 4

Protecting employees and customers 5

Telework for employees 6

Expanded leave options for employees 7

Procuring PPE during global shortage 8

To mask or not to mask? 10

Postal medical staff conducts contact tracing 11

Essential workers, essential work 12

Delivery challenges 13

Public support 14

Going the extra mile 16

Vaccines and variants 16

Delivering America’s COVID-19 test kits 18

Impact of pandemic on finances, legislative relief 19

COVID command disbanded 20

Appendices 22

Postmaster General Megan Brennan addressed employees via video on March 9, stating:

We are aware of only one employee who has tested positive for COVID-19. This employee works in our

Seattle network distribution center and had recently returned from overseas travel. The employee is

recuperating at home and, we’re happy to say, is expected to have a full recovery. We’ve been working

closely with the Seattle and King County Washington public health departments, and they have told us that

the current risk to other employees in the same workplace is low.

On March 11, as the virus quickly spread throughout the world, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

The following week, the Postal Service launched COVID-19 Resources pages on its webpages for employees,

Blue and LiteBlue. These pages featured information and guidance from both the CDC and the Postal Service

on COVID-19 issues. The Postal Service also began providing COVID-19 stand-up talks to be delivered by

managers and supervisors to their employees on topics ranging from workplace hygiene to employee

assistance programs.

On March 13, President Donald Trump declared COVID-19 to be a national emergency. The CDC and White

House created a postcard with “President Trump’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America.” The guidelines

emphasized that Americans should stay home, avoid travel, and avoid social gatherings. On March 21, the

Postal Service began delivering the postcards to all 138 million residential addresses in the nation. (See

Appendix A, “Postcard with President’s Coronavirus Guidelines.”)

Within weeks, the virus spread across the United States. By March 22, New York City had become a global

epicenter of the pandemic, with roughly 5 percent of the world’s confirmed cases.

Nationwide, essential

businesses implemented telework and social-distancing measures to reduce the risk of contagion, while many

nonessential businesses closed their doors. By the end of March, the U.S. had more than 163,000 reported

cases of COVID-19 and more than 3,000 deaths.

(See Appendix B, “Key Dates in COVID-19 Pandemic and

Postal Service Response,” for more information on the impact of the pandemic on the U.S.)

USPS COVID-19 Response Command Team

The fear, the unknowns, were many and broad. And it became clear to me … that we needed to

bring to bear…the whole of Postal, and put dedicated resources, officer-led, to give it the

standing, frankly, that it needed, and the authority from me to get our arms around this.

Former Postmaster General Megan Brennan, January 2022

Even before the virus was reported in the U.S., an ad hoc work group at Postal Service headquarters

anticipated its arrival. That group included Simon Storey, Employee Resource Management vice president; Pat

Mendonca, senior director in the Office of the Postmaster General; Mike Swigart, director of National

Preparedness; Linda DeCarlo, director of Safety and Health, and David Ellis, managing counsel, Employment

and Labor Law. The group set about updating the Postal Service’s pandemic policy plan. “We knew between

January and February it was just a matter of time because of the continued travel and the exposure,” recalled

Storey, “so we started planning.”

By early March, the Postal Service was grappling with myriad challenges caused by the pandemic. Once the

first postal workers became infected the situation rapidly escalated. “In those early days nobody knew the

answers to anything,” recalled Kristin Seaver, who was chief information officer and executive vice president at

the time. “You were really just trying to bring order to chaos.”

Ibid., from transcript of linked video “Business Focus: Special Edition,” also online at https://link.usps.com/video/business-focus-

special-edition/ (accessed August 16, 2022).

Jesse McKinley, “New York City Region Is Now an Epicenter of the Coronavirus Pandemic,” The New York Times, March 22,

2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/nyregion/Coronavirus-new-York-epicenter.html (accessed August 16, 2022).

Stephanie Kelly and Daniel Trotta, “U.S. coronavirus death toll rises past 3,000 on deadliest day,” Reuters.com, March 30, 2020,

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/u-s-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-past-3000-on-deadliest-day-

idUSKBN21H1LX (accessed August 16, 2022).

Oral history interview with Megan J. Brennan, January 26, 2022, 5, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS

Historian.

Oral history interview with Simon Storey, November 24, 2021, 5, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS Historian.

Oral history interview with Kristin Seaver, January 19, 2022, 7, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS Historian.

On March 20, Brennan formed the COVID-19 Response Command Team, led by key postal executives, to

provide a comprehensive approach to the pandemic. She took the unorthodox step of taking top executives out

of their day-to-day jobs so they could focus their full attention on responding to the pandemic; subordinates took

over their regular duties.

Brennan appointed Seaver to lead the group. Brennan later recalled: “Kristin and I had

worked together for more than a decade or so, so I was very familiar with her skill set and her organizational

prowess.” She added, “Candidly, Kristin will knock down doors.”

The COVID-19 Response Command Team covered four key areas, each led by a USPS officer:

 Employee response: Simon Storey, Employee Resource Management vice president

 Operational continuity: Joshua Colin, acting vice president, Processing and Maintenance Operations

 Business continuity: Mark Guilfoil, Supply Management vice president

 Customer continuity: Steve Monteith, Marketing vice president

The team was augmented by others with expertise in specific areas.

Among them, Janice Walker, Corporate Communications vice

president, coordinated communications related to COVID-19, while

David Ellis coordinated legal concerns on behalf of the general

counsel’s office. By having all of the chief officers working together,

decisions could be made, and solutions reached, much more quickly

than under normal circumstances. Seaver described how the

command tackled the crisis: “We basically triaged the major acute

issues of the day, and then allocated who was going to get that work

done. They would go out to the larger working team in the

organization proper and then…brought ourselves back to the

afternoon, ‘What did we get done? What still needs to be done?

What's new?’ And then close out the day. I closed out every day

around six o'clock, providing the PMG [postmaster general] with a

briefing.”

While the command team tackled emerging issues, much of Brennan’s time was spent communicating with the

Postal Service’s key constituencies. “We've got a diverse group of stakeholders, and they sometimes have

competing interests…our employees at large, our customers, our industry partners, the union leadership, the

management associations, the Hill, the Board of Governors,” she said. “Much of my day was spent meeting

either with Kristin and/or the COVID command team…[and] briefing these various stakeholder groups,” said

Brennan, adding, “It was all-consuming.”

For members of the command team, the days were long, and weekends were nonexistent during the first few

months of the pandemic. “It was beginning of the morning to 8:00 or 9:00 pm,” said Joseph Bruce, director of

National Human Resources at the time, “It was nonstop Saturday, Sunday.”

By being sharply focused on the

issues at hand, Monteith said, “the 12-to-14-hour days flew.”

Swigart said, “We were working seven days a

week at that point. When you looked up and you went to the store on a Sunday afternoon, you were like, ‘Dang,

I haven't been out of the house for like six days.’"

“In the early days it was so unnerving, and employees were fearful,” said Brennan. “They were getting sick, or

their loved ones were getting sick, or people in their communities were getting sick. And we had a challenge in

terms of employee availability.” She continued, “As postmaster general, my responsibility [was] the safety and

well-being of the employees, and also ensuring that the Postal Service would continue to meet our core function

of delivery of mail and packages.”

In early June 2020, the COVID-19 Response Command Team shifted from urgent response mode to managing ongoing

operations. At that time, the team members transitioned back to their regular positions, while continuing to serve as the lead

points of contact for their key areas of responsibility as part of their official duties.

Brennan interview, page 5.

On July 30, 2020, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy named Simon Storey as head of the COVID command team in place of

Kristin Seaver. The titles listed here reflect positions held by the officers in March 2020.

Seaver interview, page 6.

Brennan interview, pages 5–6.

Oral history interview with Joseph Bruce, January 24, 2022, 5, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS Historian.

Oral history interview with Steve Monteith, December 2, 2021, 9, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS Historian.

Oral history interview with Mike Swigart, January 19, 2022, 5, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS Historian.

Brennan interview, 6.

To help document the Postal

Service’s response to COVID-19,

members of the command team

were interviewed about their

roles responding to the

pandemic. Interviews with key

team members, as well as former

Postmaster General Megan

Brennan, were conducted from

November 2021 through January

2022.

With the first case of COVID-19 in the Postal Service on March 1, postal leaders began refining the Postal

Service’s pandemic response plan. Bruce recalled talking on the phone to employees in Seattle: “It was a

Saturday or Sunday morning, we were on the phone with the facility walking through this with the

managers…the HR staff, and the doctors out there…. It was actually from that case where we started drafting

up…the initial checklist we used to tell people how to respond.”

What had been abstract was suddenly

concrete. “This was [a] rubber hitting the road kind of thing,” said Bruce. “We knew big-picture how things were

going to work, [such as], ‘Oh we're going to have to tell people to social distance and things like that.’”

Bruce’s team needed to provide directions — clear step-by-step instructions on what to do when there was

COVID-19 in a postal facility. When to send people home? When not to send people home? What level of

cleaning was appropriate in a building? When to contact local public health officials? There were so many

questions and contingencies regarding COVID-positive and COVID-exposed employees that a decision tree

was created. The decision tree provided postal supervisors with easily digestible, graphic guidance on how to

respond to different COVID-related employee scenarios. It was regularly updated as understanding of the

disease grew and policies adapted. (See Appendix C, “COVID-19 — Initial Decision Tree.”)

Stand-up talks were written to communicate essential information to employees. Yvonne Yoerger, a manager in

Corporate Communications, recalled that a big challenge when crafting pandemic messaging “was to get across

a balance of ‘This is serious, please pay attention to this,’ versus, ‘Oh my gosh, here's another stand-up talk.’”

By the end of 2020 the Postal Service had issued 60 COVID-related stand-up talks. (See Appendix D, “List of

COVID-19 Stand-Up Talks.”)

Meanwhile, the number of new, positive cases in the Postal Service steadily increased. On March 25, a 50-year-

old letter carrier in New York became the first postal worker known to die of COVID-19. By May 15, sixty postal

workers had died. By the end of July 2020, 33,945 employees had taken leave to quarantine, and 7,421 had

tested positive for the virus.

“The first time we were notified that an employee died, I'll tell you, that changed things,” said Joseph Bruce. “As

much as we were doing to try to keep people safe … people died.”

The impact of employee losses

reverberated in the postal community. Simon Storey noted that such losses were not only “a huge impact to

their immediate family, for their sons and daughters, or husbands or wives. … But it's also an impact to the

postal family. … You get down into these smaller Post Offices, it really is a family.”

The Postal Service’s

Employee Assistance Program provided grief counselors to help affected employees.

Union and management cooperation

The employees at large, led by the union presidents and the presidents of the management

associations, [are] just really a tremendous group of people dedicated to the same cause at the

end of the day, which is serving the American public.

Former Postmaster General Megan Brennan, January 2022

To effectively respond to COVID-19, the command team needed to change many work rules and policies. As

these were governed by collective bargaining agreements and federal law, the changes had to be carefully

crafted. Not only did the changes have to take effect immediately, but they had to be acceptable to postal labor

unions and management associations. Policy changes also had to stand up to any legal challenges that might

be brought.

“The Postal Service is not equipped, being the third largest civilian employer in the world, with 630,000

employees, to be able to turn on a dime,” said David Ellis, who was managing counsel of Employment and

Labor Law in early 2020. “We have four major unions, we've got management organizations, we've got smaller

Bruce interview, 4.

Oral history interview with Yvonne Yoerger, December 27, 2021, 9, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS

Historian.

U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, “Employee Safety — Postal Service COVID-19 Response,” Report Number 20-

259-R21, November 20, 2020, 1, at https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2020/20-259-R21.pdf

(accessed August 17, 2022).

Bruce interview, 9.

Storey interview, 9.

Brennan interview, 12.

unions. And whenever we create or change policy, we have to work through the unions as it impacts their

employees, and to the extent needed, we have to bargain with them over the issues.”

In 2020, 90 percent of

postal workers were covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Negotiating changes in labor contracts was traditionally a drawn out and contentious undertaking. Credit for the

Postal Service, the unions, and management associations being able to reach agreements and sign

memorandums of understanding (MOUs) so quickly belongs to the leadership of the unions and associations,

along with a dedicated group of USPS employment law attorneys. USPS attorneys were “the unsung heroes,”

recalled Brennan, explaining “they get you to yes, they figure out how we can maneuver within the letter of the

law.”

Rapid agreement on policy changes was just one benefit of the partnership with postal unions. Equally important

was the timely dissemination of factual information about the coronavirus from trusted sources. Each of the

unions created COVID-19 pages on their websites, where they freely shared the most up-to-date information. “I

credit our employees — the union presidents and the presidents of the management associations in particular

— for assisting us in communicating directly to their members, our employees,” said Brennan.

“We made a lot of positive strides with working with our union partners,” said Katie Chounet, an employment law

attorney for the Postal Service.

Over the course of the pandemic, the Postal Service, the unions and

associations signed more than 150 MOUs. Chounet said, “Just talking with the union leaders and saying, ‘Look,

we need to deal with this issue. … Let's come together.’”

“Frankly,” said Brennan, “those were not always easy

conversations,” but by having the union presidents at the table “we were able to sign MOUs in short order.”

(See Appendix E, “Lists of Pandemic-Responsive MOUs.”)

Protecting employees and customers

Normally, it's like trying to turn the Titanic here in getting a policy out. … We were trying to

write a policy and get it issued within days, and just kind of constantly working on that. … It

started to click at that point, this is going to be a very different type of assignment.

Katie Chounet, chief counsel USPS Employment Law, January 2022

The sudden changes wrought by COVID-19 were reflected almost immediately in postal facilities across the

nation. On February 11, a month before the disease was declared a pandemic, employees were advised to

wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap

and water were not available. On March 4, the daily cleaning protocols for postal facilities were updated to

reflect the latest guidance from the CDC, which included regularly cleaning frequently touched surfaces and

shared items, prioritizing areas with the most human traffic. Custodians were advised to wear impermeable

gloves when emptying trash cans, to carefully avoid touching the outside surface of the gloves when removing

them, and to wash their hands immediately afterwards.

On March 11, a stand-up talk informed all employees of the new COVID-19 resources webpages on Blue and

LiteBlue, which included a new CDC factsheet and the poster “Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands,” which

managers were encouraged to print and display in work areas.

On March 17, vehicle operators were instructed to clean frequently touched surfaces in their vehicles with

household cleaner as soon as possible if anyone using the vehicle had COVID-19 symptoms, and to wash their

hands often. On March 18, the stand-up talk “Guidance on Social Gatherings” advised all employees to “avoid

close contact (within six feet) with other people to the degree possible” and provided other reminders, including

“stay home when you’re sick” and “wash hands often.”

In some facilities, employee start times were staggered

to promote social distancing.

Ellis interview, 6. The four major postal unions were the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the National Association of

Letter Carriers (NALC), the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA), and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union.

Brennan interview, 12.

Brennan interview, 6.

Chounet interview, 18.

Brennan interview, 9.

Chounet interview, 5.

U.S. Postal Service, COVID-19 SUT 9, “Guidance on Social Gatherings,” March 18, 2020, https://blue.usps.gov/blue/pdf/covid-

19/stand-up-talk-guidance-on-social-gathering-2020-03-18.pdf (accessed August 17, 2022).

On March 25, the Postal Service provided retail

employees with new guidelines to help them

practice social distancing on the job, based on the

CDC’s recommendation that people stay at least 6

feet apart. USPS retail locations placed tape on the

floor to show customers where to stand while in

line. Retail employees were directed to display

social distancing signage in lobbies and use every

other counter, if operationally feasible. On April 1,

signatures were no longer needed for payment

card transactions and became “touchless.” On

April 4, Post Offices were advised to install plastic

or plexiglass sneeze guards to minimize contact

with customers.

A stand-up talk given on March 23 advised

employees that the Postal Service was continuing

“normal operations” as the nation dealt with

COVID-19. While the Postal Service continued its

vital mission of delivering the nation’s mail, many

regular practices were curtailed, including:

▪ Employees were advised to avoid social gatherings of more than ten people.

▪ Passport fairs were suspended.

▪ Training for retail associates was limited to groups of ten people, including the instructor.

▪ Business travel was restricted to only that which was “mission-critical.”

▪ Previously announced stamp dedication ceremonies were canceled or conducted virtually.

▪ The grace period for PO Box payments was extended to 30 days.

▪ The annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive was postponed.

Telework for employees

Our culture had always been, so everybody's got to be physically present in the workplace. The

reality of COVID required us to change our mindset around that.

Kristin Seaver, former chief information officer and executive vice president, January 2022

To slow the spread of the coronavirus, many schools and businesses closed. For example, New York City public

schools — the largest school system in the nation, with 1.1 million students — shut down on March 15, 2020.

While the majority of postal employees had to be physically present to perform their work, it was possible for

some employees to work remotely.

For postal employees in some administrative positions, teleworking had been an option long before the

pandemic. Depending on the nature of their jobs, EAS (executive and administrative schedule) and PCES

(postal career executive service) employees were permitted one or two days of telework per week. They had

been provided with Postal Service-issued laptop computers and a VPN (virtual private network) security token,

which allowed them to connect to the Postal Service’s network via a secure server. On March 18, 2020, the

telework policy was expanded to allow up to five days of telework per week for all administrative employees who

didn’t need to be physically present in the workplace.

Some telework-eligible employees lacked a Postal Service-issued laptop. For Kristin Seaver, the burning

question was, "Do we have the technology to get people out of the office for remote work?"

The solution her

team came up with was virtual desktop interface (VDI). From their home computers, employees could log in to

their USPS desktop using VDI. Even though these employees were working on their personal computer, a

firewall protected the security of the USPS network. Within two weeks, the Postal Service brought 17,000 new

teleworkers online.

Seaver interview, 4.

Seaver interview, 3.

Cleaning a retail counter, 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, enhanced cleaning

protocols and the installation of sneeze guards at retail

counters made Post Office lobbies safer for both

employees and customers.

In addition to protecting employees, teleworking provided a couple of unexpected benefits: productivity

increased as some employees worked longer hours in lieu of commuting, and some work teams were able to

collaborate with colleagues nationwide in new ways, since geography was no longer a factor. Computer

applications like Zoom allowed users to attend meetings from anywhere by using their computer or other device.

If their device had a camera, participants could appear onscreen alongside other attendees.

In addition to expanding telework for administrative employees, the Postal Service offered the telework option to

certain craft employees.

“We were very, very concerned with the call centers,” Seaver recalled, “because you

had several hundred employees in very confined locations.”

Craft employees in USPS call centers fielded calls

from postal customers and provided technical assistance to postal employees. Unlike with EAS employees,

there was no precedent for craft employees working remotely. The Postal Service quickly negotiated an

agreement with the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), which represented employees at call centers.

“We had to get them computers, we had to get them the headgear and all that,” recalled Steve Monteith, who

was vice president of Marketing at the time. Some call center workers still came into the buildings, but the

majority — over 1,000 — transitioned to telework. This not only increased employee safety, but also attendance

and productivity. “Our customer satisfaction went up, even though we were getting two to three times the

number of calls that we would normally have gotten,” recalled Monteith.

Seaver explained: “It was like a

perfect storm. … We were handling over 800,000 calls a day at the beginning of COVID. People thought you

could get COVID by touching the mail, and people were calling. And then the package volume increased and

that caused people to be calling.”

The expanded telework policy was originally set to end on May 11, 2020. It was extended a number of times

and finally ended on April 18, 2022. The policy that replaced it allowed more telework than pre-pandemic — up

to three days per week.

Expanded leave options for employees

[In] trying to implement new leave types — I have learned more about our payroll systems than

I ever think I wanted or needed to know.

Katie Chounet, chief counsel USPS Employment Law, January 2022

To encourage employees who may have been exposed to COVID-19 to stay home, the Postal Service struck

agreements with the four major postal labor unions on March 18. The agreements granted non-career

employees, who did not earn leave before the pandemic, up to 80 hours of paid leave in certain COVID-related

instances. Shortly thereafter it was followed by a liberalized policy on schedule changes and various types of

leave for all employees, particularly Sick Leave for Dependent Care.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) created two new types of leave available to postal

employees beginning in April 2020: up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave were available to workers

impacted by COVID-19, and up to 12 weeks of Public Health Emergency Leave if their child’s school or

daycare closed due to the pandemic.

The act was signed into law on March 18 and took effect on April 1,

allowing less than two weeks for the Postal Service to analyze the law’s implications and re-program its payroll

systems. By the time the FFCRA expired on December 31, 2020, 27 percent of the postal workforce had used

COVID-related leave. City carriers, sales and service associates, and city carrier assistants — the employees

who interacted most with members of the public — represented the top three employee groups who took

COVID-19 leave. After the FFCRA expired, the Postal Service continued to allow employees liberal leave

usage for COVID-19-related reasons.

The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021, and took effect the next day. This act

was similar to the FFCRA in that it created a new category of leave — emergency federal employee leave

(EFEL). Under the American Rescue Plan Act, full-time federal employees were eligible to receive up to 600

Craft employees are bargaining unit workers, which include employees such as clerks, city carriers, rural carriers, and mail

handlers.

Seaver interview, 3–4.

Monteith interview, 11.

Seaver interview, 4.

Chounet interview, 5.

See U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, “COVID-19 Leave Administration,” Report Number 21-032-R21, June 16,

2021, https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2021/21-032-R21.pdf (accessed August 17, 2022).

hours of paid leave when they were unable to work because of a qualifying COVID-19-related reason. Part-time

employees were eligible for EFEL in an amount proportional to their regular work schedules, not to exceed 600

hours. EFEL was available to postal employees until September 30, 2021. According to the Office of Personnel

Management, postal employees used more than 10.5 million hours of EFEL at a cost of $269.7 million.

Even

after EFEL expired, the Postal Service continued its liberal leave policy.

Procuring PPE during global shortage

We needed to have the PPE and that's what the union presidents, the management association

presidents, early on, that's what we spent a significant amount of time on, ensuring that we had

that.

Former Postmaster General Megan Brennan, January 2022

The ability of the Postal Service to perform its mission was tested early in the pandemic due to a shortage of

hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment (PPE). Although the CDC did not initially recommend face

coverings, on March 18 the Postal Service advised employees it would provide face masks to employees who

requested them. Employees could also request nitrile gloves, which had been authorized as protective

equipment for postal employees following the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Although not recommended by the CDC in

most situations, many people chose to wear gloves as a

form of personal protection, especially early in the

pandemic when little was known about how COVID spread.

A spike in demand and bottlenecks in the supply chain led

to a national shortage of face masks and gloves, nearly all

of which were produced abroad. Similarly, hand sanitizer,

disinfectants and other cleaning products were in short

supply. The Postal Service’s stock on hand was quickly

depleted and the vendors who normally supplied such items

were prioritizing health care facilities.

For the COVID command team, providing PPE for

employees on the front lines was their first major challenge.

To facilitate ordering these vital supplies, the Postal Service

quickly liberalized its purchasing policies, allowing non-

competitive purchases, removing quantity limitations, and

streamlining the ordering process. Facility managers were

authorized to spend up to $10,000 per purchase. If they

located a source with supplies greater than $10,000, the

Supply Management Commodity Team stood ready to

assist them to make the purchase. The Postal Service

willingly accepted locally donated supplies like hand

sanitizer but barred employees from actively soliciting such

donations. For employees who bought COVID-19 supplies

out of their own pockets, the Postal Service authorized

reimbursement.

In addition to liberalizing its purchasing policies for

managers, the Postal Service empowered its front-line

workers to make emergency purchases. Many letter carriers

already had government-issued Voyager credit cards, but

these were normally valid only for fueling, repairing, and

towing their postal vehicles. From March through June

2020, the Voyager cards were temporarily modified to allow

the purchase of hand sanitizer from gas stations and auto

parts stores. Similarly, employees who had government-

U.S. Office of Personnel Management, “Policy, Data, Oversight. Pay & Leave: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Status of the

Federal ARPA Funds (as of 07/28/2022),” at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/ARPA/ARPA-EPL-

Dashboard.xlsx?v=07282022 (accessed August 17, 2022).

Brennan interview, 6.

For information on the 2001 anthrax attacks, see USPS Publication 100, The United States Postal Service: An American History

(2020), 77, at https://about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf (accessed August 15, 2022).

Delivering during the pandemic, 2020

In April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control

recommended wearing face coverings to help

prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some postal

workers also chose to wear gloves.

issued credit cards for official travel were

temporarily authorized to use them to purchase

COVID-19 supplies at retail locations.

Meanwhile, $25 gift cards, normally available for

customer purchase at select Post Offices, were

provided to carriers and other personnel as a

form of petty cash to buy COVID supplies for the

benefit of postal employees at their work unit.

These included cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer,

and toilet paper, among other things.

Mark Guilfoil, vice president of Supply

Management, quickly formed sourcing teams for

essential COVID-related supplies. The teams

tracked 12 to 14 critical supply items, including

face masks and face coverings, gloves, hand

sanitizer, disinfectants, and spray bottles. The

teams were successful in locating new sources to

purchase many of the supplies, including some

unconventional suppliers. For example, when

hand sanitizer was in short supply, Guilfoil’s team

got a list of every distillery in the country and

asked, "Are you making hand sanitizer? Yes?

Great, do you have any that I can buy?"

The

team also found distilleries willing to switch from

making liquor to hand sanitizer. Producing the

hand sanitizer was only the first step — the

product had to be tested to make sure it met

technical specifications and was safe. Out of

necessity, many distilleries used whatever

containers they had on hand — in some cases, liquor bottles. Guilfoil recalled that they took anything they could

get, even if it came in 55-gallon drums — they bought hoses and pumps to put it in smaller jugs.

Guilfoil’s team also leveraged relationships with existing suppliers to tap new sources. Guilfoil told suppliers,

"Look, I need your help. You are key suppliers to the Postal Service. Even if this is not in an area that you would

normally supply us, if you have contacts to be able to get PPE, or gloves … please do and I will contract with

you."

One company, Wheeler Brothers, which normally provided parts for postal vehicles, procured millions of

surgical masks for the Postal Service during the pandemic.

To track which facilities had the supplies they needed, and

which didn’t, Supply Management and the Informed

Visibility team under the chief technology officer

collaborated to create online dashboards and surveys for

reporting inventory. This COVID supply visibility tool allowed

them to check the status of 12 essential items at every

facility in the nation. Supply Management then partnered

with the Sales and Marketing organization to create a call

center dedicated to contacting facilities that seemed to be

low on essential supplies. For example, Guilfoil said they

might call Bentonville, Arkansas, and say, "We see that you

don't have toilet paper. Is that accurate?" If they were out,

the call center would arrange for some to be shipped.

Guilfoil interview, 12.

Guilfoil interview, 7.

Guilfoil interview, 8.

Hand sanitizer acquired in 2020 (2022 photo)

Early in the pandemic, unprecedented demand led to global

shortages of PPE and other vital supplies, like hand sanitizer.

In the U.S., some companies quickly pivoted from their normal

product lines to producing hand sanitizer to help meet the

surging demand. Out of necessity, companies packaged

sanitizer in whatever containers they had on hand, including

liquor bottles, motor oil containers, and 55-gallon drums. As

needed, the Postal Service repackaged hand sanitizer for use

by employees.

The Toilet Paper Panic of 2020

The fear and uncertainty produced by

the pandemic led to panic buying

worldwide. In the spring and summer

of 2020, many vital necessities

disappeared from supermarket shelves

across the globe — most notably, toilet

paper. By March 23, toilet paper was

reportedly out of stock at 70 percent of

U.S. grocery stores, with shortages

continuing for months.

To mask or not to mask?

At some point in the spring [of 2020], the determination was made … [that] this is an airborne

virus, that's how you're gonna get it. So that's really when you started to see the shift to the

cloth masks, and, you know, everybody needs to wear a mask indoors — not just us, but

globally.

Mike Swigart, director of National Preparedness, January 2022

The Postal Service took its cues on the use of face coverings and other preventative measures from the CDC.

Early efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were focused on hand washing, surface cleaning, and social

distancing. Initially, masks were believed to offer no benefit to healthy individuals. In March 2020, the CDC

website advised those who weren’t sick “You do not need to wear a facemask unless you are caring for

someone who is sick.”

Masks were in very short supply and urgently needed by caregivers. The need was so

urgent that early on, the Postal Service donated a supply of its N-95 masks to Health and Human Services

(HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “We thought it was prudent … because there was

such a dire need in the medical community,” recalled Postmaster General Brennan.

On April 3, 2020, when it became clear that individuals without symptoms could spread COVID-19, the CDC

changed its guidance, recommending masks for anyone in a public setting who couldn’t maintain social

distance. On April 6, the Postal Service

encouraged employees to follow the CDC’s

recommendation and offered to provide

surgical masks to workers. Employees were

also free to wear their own cloth face

coverings at work but were advised not to

rely solely on face coverings to prevent the

spread of COVID-19. They were also

encouraged to wash their hands often and

to practice social distancing “whenever

possible while on delivery routes, at retail

counters, and within the postal workplace.”

On April 21, 2020, the face covering policy

was modified making cloth face coverings or

masks mandatory when required by local or

state orders, and in all USPS facilities where

social distancing could not be maintained.

This policy remained in place until July 27,

2021, when fully vaccinated employees

were no longer required to wear face

coverings, except where required by local

regulations. But just one month later, the

previous policy was reinstated as the Delta

variant of COVID-19 led to a wave of new

infections. With a declining number of

COVID-19 infections, the Postal Service

ended its mandatory face covering policy

effective March 29, 2022.

Swigart interview, 8.

A notable exception: in April 2020 the CDC recommended that employers take employees’ temperature. The Postal Service

tested temperature taking in May 2020 at four facilities — three in Virginia and one in Oklahoma — but found that the process

was resource intensive, raised privacy concerns, and was insufficient to identify employees infected with COVID-19.

Jacqueline Howard, “Should You Wear a Mask? U.S. Health Officials Re-examine Guidance Amid Coronavirus Crisis,” CNN.com,

March 31, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/health/coronavirus-masks-experts-debate/index.html (accessed Aug. 17,

2022).

Brennan interview, 4.

U.S. Postal Service, COVID-19 SUT 32, “Additional CDC Guidance,” April 6, 2020, https://blue.usps.gov/blue/pdf/covid-19/covid-

19-sut-32-all-employeesa-additional-cdc-guidance.pdf (accessed August 17, 2022).

Face coverings issued in 2020 (2022 photo)

Initially, the Postal Service distributed disposable surgical masks to

employees who requested them. Beginning in mid-June 2020,

washable, reusable coverings were provided — blue hot-weather

gaiters to mail carriers and black cooling masks to mail processing

employees. In July, gray cloth masks were distributed to employees,

followed by blue masks with the USPS logo in late September.

Postal medical staff conducts contact tracing

The Postal Service’s quick actions likely saved lives and certainly increased employee safety.

USPS Office of Inspector General, November 2020

As with other communicable diseases, one of the keys to limiting the spread of COVID-19 was identifying

anyone who had been in contact with an infected person. By tracing the contacts of infected individuals, testing

them for infection, encouraging them to isolate, and tracing their contacts, new infections in the general

population could be minimized. Contact tracing had traditionally been conducted by public health authorities, but

with the first outbreaks of COVID-19 on the west coast, it became clear that public health agencies were

overwhelmed.

“Immediately,” said Simon Storey, “we knew we were doing the contact tracing.”

The process had to be

developed from the ground up and it had to be done in a hurry. After a potential exposure, Joseph Bruce

learned firsthand how contract tracing worked. “The first postal contact tracing at headquarters, I did myself,” he

said. “We had somebody who tested positive … who had been in the building that last day and so I actually

spent the next day calling people and … I was calling from home that night trying to get hold of people.” Bruce

told them, "You could have been exposed. … Talk to your doctor. Stay away from people, if you can.” Despite

his efforts to be reassuring, some contacts were upset by the news. “None of us had seen a case of COVID at

that point,” said Bruce, “all we had was a list from the CDC of symptoms.”

As acting vice president of Employee Resource Management, Linda DeCarlo was intimately involved in

developing the contact tracing program. “Nobody knew,” she said, “What do I need to ask? How do I interview

employees? What data do I need to track to be able to spot trends?"

The occupational health team developed

a comprehensive program that involved exposed employees, their managers, and HR staff at the district level. It

included an action plan, a sample script, checklist, guidance for self-monitoring, and a chart for tracking

symptoms.

The medical team — which consisted of physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals — partnered

with IT to build tracking and reporting systems. In normal times, the health team assisted employees with

reasonable-accommodation requests, conducted employment screenings, fitness-for-duty exams, and

organized workplace health fairs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team became a vital source of

information for employees and, importantly, performed contact tracing.

Demands on the medical staff escalated as the pandemic progressed. In July 2020, there were just 116 Postal

Service nurses nationwide for a workforce of more than 600,000. To augment the occupational health team, the

Postal Service temporarily re-hired nurses who had recently retired and put out a call for postal employees with

medical training to temporarily join the team. To be eligible for the assignment, employees had to be a licensed

nurse, paramedic, emergency medical technician, or other medical worker.

Said DeCarlo: “We asked anybody who had experience either as an EMT, a nurse — all of our city carriers and

rural carriers, and plant workers all had other lives and they had other interests. Some were CPR certified that

we didn't know about. And as a district or an area needed some assistance or backup, they were able to call on

these folks and have them temporarily detailed into HR.”

In all, 631 qualified postal employees volunteered for

this special assignment. Detailed employees were assigned a variety of duties related to case management and

communications that did not include administering medical care. This included contact tracing, answering

questions from postmasters and other managers on COVID-19 cases, contacting local health departments, and

reviewing employees’ medical documentation.

DeCarlo believed that the pandemic showed the rest of the Postal Service the value that the occupational health

team brought to the table. “Most time you only think you need an OHNA [occupational health nurse

administrator] if you've got an injury comp claim…or you want to schedule a fitness for duty. You think of them

U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, “Employee Safety — Postal Service COVID-19 Response,” op cit., 1.

Storey interview, 17.

Bruce interview, 7.

DeCarlo interview, 8.

as a flu shot team,” she said. “But this was the team that was on the ground, talking to employees in facilities

that were scared or sick, or had lost loved ones, and their value really stood out.”

Essential workers, essential work

When Americans see letter carriers and the daily mail, it offers a measure of reassurance in

these unprecedented times that the nation continues to function.

Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, May 2020

In March 2020, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, many state and local governments implemented travel

restrictions. On March 23, the Postal Service advised employees that because they provided an essential public

service they were exempt from travel restrictions imposed by state and local governments. Employees were

advised to carry their official identification while on the job and when traveling to and from work. If they

happened to be stopped by law enforcement officials enforcing travel restrictions, they were instructed to show

their USPS ID badge, explain the nature of their work, and their reason for travel. To provide additional

documentation, Chief Operating Officer David Williams issued a letter that postal workers could carry with them.

It advised law enforcement officials, “the bearer of this letter with an accompanying U.S. Postal Service

identification badge provides essential services of the federal government.” (See Appendix F, “Essential Service

Provider Letter.”)

These services became even more essential during the pandemic. An important tool for limiting the spread of

COVID was testing. Identifying infected individuals early in the course of their illness enabled them to isolate

themselves, reducing the chance that they would infect others. In the early days of the pandemic, testing

supplies were limited and patients often had to wait days to be tested. Testing was conducted at health care

clinics, pharmacies, and at many mobile testing facilities set up across the nation. Specimens had to be sent to

a laboratory for analysis and results took days.

The Postal Service played an important role in delivering

supplies to testing sites and also in delivering specimens to

laboratories. In March 2020, the Postal Service formed a cross-

functional COVID strike team to facilitate the movement of

COVID related materials through the mail. The team partnered

with organizations and companies to offer new shipping

solutions. For example, one early provider of COVID test kits

was the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in partnership

with Rutgers University. In May 2020, the strike team worked

with the school to send out three different test kits in the New

York City area using Endicia PC Postage USPS Returns Priority

Mail labels and First-Class Mail labels. Long-standing

international regulations required shipments of biological

specimens to adhere to specific labeling and packaging

standards. The strike team helped create a new label that

combined the postage label with the required “Category B (UN-

3373)” markings, thereby streamlining the mailing process.

Meanwhile, stand-up talks helped reassure employees that

COVID test materials in the mail posed no risk to their health.

The Postal Service also played a critical role in the 2020

presidential election, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

caused many U.S. states to expand voting by mail (see

“Delivering democracy,” at right). And in addition to its regular

delivery of benefit checks, prescription and over-the-counter

medications, and important documents, during the COVID-19

pandemic the Postal Service performed another vital function:

delivering direct payments from the U.S. Government to millions

of Americans nationwide. In 2020 and 2021, the federal

DeCarlo interview, 9.

“Essential Service in Uncertain Times,” The Postal Record, May 2020, 11.

Delivering democracy

In 2020, many Americans believed that

voting by mail was the safest alternative for

voting during the pandemic. As the

November 3 election drew near, the Postal

Service put extraordinary measures in place

to ensure the prompt processing and delivery

of election mail, including authorizing extra

transportation and employee overtime, extra

deliveries and collections, running collections

and mail processing on Sundays, and using

Priority Mail Express to get ballots to election

boards. In addition, letter carriers were

instructed to check every residential mailbox

in the country for ballots from October 26

through October 31.

The 2020 presidential election had the

highest turnout in U.S. history, with a record

159 million votes cast. Nearly 67 percent of

all citizens aged 18 and older voted — the

highest percentage in more than a century.

Forty-three percent of voters cast their ballots

by mail — another record. On average, the

Postal Service delivered ballots to voters in

2.1 days and delivered ballots from voters to

election officials in just 1.6 days.

government issued $931 billion in direct payments to Americans, to ease the financial stress caused by the

pandemic; at least 80 million of the payments were sent by mail.

Delivery challenges

In some of the areas that were really, really hit hard … we just didn't have enough people to

deliver the mail every day. And so we had to [say] "Alright, well, you get out what you can

today, but I want the data and the visibility around what didn't get delivered and where we didn't

go. And those are the places we go first tomorrow."

Kristin Seaver, former chief information officer and executive vice president, January 2022

During the pandemic, postal workers continued their vital work of keeping the nation connected. For many

American families hunkering down in their homes, the daily appearance of their letter carrier took on a new

significance. The sight of familiar postal employees making their rounds was a small bit of normalcy in a world

turned upside down. For many Americans, the mail was a literal lifeline. Rather than risking infection by

venturing to a store, many people chose to have vital supplies delivered to their home. Prescription medications,

clothing, home goods, office supplies, and even groceries were delivered directly to doorsteps. Online

purchases drove package volumes to unprecedented levels. The Postal Service delivered 7.3 billion parcels in

2020, up from 6.2 billion the previous year.

But not all customers saw their letter carrier as a lifeline. Although there was no evidence that COVID-19 could

spread through the mail, some customers viewed both their mail

and their letter carrier as possible vectors for infection. Some

customers didn’t pick up their mail, refused to answer their door,

or wanted to check their carrier’s temperature before accepting

their mail. Carriers were not required to submit to such

screenings. Anxious customers were offered solutions, such as

a temporary mail receptacle outside their building, holding their

mail at the Post Office, or redirecting their mail to another

location.

Certain types of mail required a customer’s signature, which

placed carriers and customers in uncomfortably close proximity.

To avoid such close contact, the Postal Service temporarily

modified procedures when a signature and identification were

needed for delivery. Carriers were instructed to knock rather

than ring the customer’s doorbell, avoiding frequently touched

areas. If identification was needed, the customer was asked to

hold their ID up to the window. The carrier then entered the

customer’s first initial and last name on their handheld delivery

device or hardcopy PS Form 3811 or 3849. In place of the

customer’s signature, they printed their own initials, route

number, and the notation “C19.” Rather than handing the item

directly to the customer, they left the item in the mail receptacle

or appropriate location by the door.

As mail for shuttered businesses began to accumulate, local

Post Offices were swamped with requests to hold mail, change

addresses, and provide alternate delivery methods. Some

business owners were overwhelmed by the suddenness of

COVID lockdowns. “If you're a small business, the last thing

you're thinking of is, ‘Oh, before I shut down my livelihood, I'm

going to notify the Postal Service to put a hold on my mail,’” said

Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer and

U.S. Government Accountability Office, “Stimulus Checks: Direct Payments to Individuals during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” GAO-

22-106044, June 29, 2022, at https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-106044 (accessed August 15, 2022). See also U.S. Postal

Service, “In the Mail,” Link news site, April 23, 2020, https://link.usps.com/2020/04/23/in-the-mail-4/, and “Stimulus Checks,”

April 12, 2021, https://link.usps.com/2021/04/12/stimulus-checks/ (accessed August 18, 2022).

Seaver interview, 7.

International mail disruptions

The global pandemic caused major

disruptions in the exchange of mail with other

nations. In the early months of 2020, many

foreign post operators were unable to

process or deliver mail from the United

States. More than 70 percent of countries

reported service disruptions due to COVID-

19. Initially the Postal Service continued to

accept and process mail destined for

impacted countries, intending to hold the mail

in-network until mail service was restored.

But on April 3, 2020, the Postal Service

suspended acceptance of international mail

to impacted destinations.

The inability of foreign posts to accept mail

from the U.S. was not the only challenge to

international mail service. Widespread flight

cancellations and restrictions due to COVID-

19 resulted in the Postal Service being

unable to place mail on international flights. In

order to keep the mail moving, the Postal

Service returned to sea transportation for the

first time since 2007. In February 2020, mail

departed Los Angeles and San Francisco for

Shanghai. On April 20, a ship left New York

for the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands,

with mail for European nations. The diversion

of international mail from air to sea remained

in effect until sufficient air transportation

resumed.

executive vice president. “Well, they didn't, so we extended hold mail.”

Instead of holding the mail for 10 days,

the time was extended to 30 days. After that time, unclaimed mail was endorsed “Moved, Left No Address” and

returned to the senders.

The greatest challenge to prompt mail delivery was the trifecta of fewer available employees, increased parcels,

and diminished transportation. During 2020, nearly one-fifth of the postal workforce had to quarantine at some

point. “Everything changed,” recalled Joshua Colin. “We went from reliability, efficiency, understanding that we

could reach every location, to worrying about 30 to 40 percent employee availability in a plant.”

Delays in

processing and delivering the mail were exacerbated by disruptions in the transportation network. Commercial

airlines were especially hard-hit by the pandemic, and with fewer passengers, many flights were cancelled. Mail

intended for those flights was diverted to chartered flights or to the ground, but ground transportation was also

delayed by a shortage of truck drivers.

Meanwhile, lower employee availability put more strain on available workers. When letter carriers were unable

to work due to COVID-19, some routes temporarily went undelivered. “I had 40 percent coverage on certain

routes and maybe in the communities in certain ZIP Codes, they got half the routes covered on one day,” said

Colin, adding “some routes didn’t have any coverage for multiple days out of a week.”

Kristin Seaver also

acknowledged that in a few hard-hit areas, there just weren’t enough people to deliver the mail every day. She

said it was “one of the harder decisions. … [telling employees] get out what you can today, but I want the data

and the visibility around what didn't get delivered and where we didn't go. And those are the places we go first

tomorrow."

Public support for the Postal Service

The power of simply being there — of showing the public that someone they rely on is getting

the job done — should not be underestimated.

Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, May 2020

In the spring of 2020, as many of the nation’s roads and airways remained silent due to stay-at-home orders,

postal employees continued serving their communities by delivering vital communications and supplies. Postal

workers going about their business was a reassuring sight for many customers isolated by the pandemic.

Customers showed their appreciation by leaving thank-you notes at mailboxes, creating chalk drawings on

driveways and sidewalks, and posting yard signs, thanking postal workers for continuing to deliver their mail.

The messages ranged from a simple “thank you” to the more poetic, like “some superheroes wear satchels.” For

postal employees, these messages were a great comfort and offered a much-needed boost in morale.

Kristin Seaver recalled: “It was a dark week — we had lost a lot of employees … and somebody from the field …

sent … a photo. It was one of the first chalk drawings on the sidewalk thanking the Postal Service employees.

… You've probably seen … that blue heart with the stamp on it. And I remember it was late at night when I got it,

and it just really solidified that, you know, we're doing the best we can, and we're going to get through this.”

thank-you notes and tributes poured into Post Offices across the country, postal employees began sharing the

images with their colleagues. “We started using those images in our daily brief,” said Seaver. “And it just

became something that people really were motivated by.” She added, “In a series of ups and downs, you could

be pretty low, but then you could be pulled out of that lowness with some really positive, powerful things.”

To showcase the support the organization and its employees received during the pandemic, the Postal Service

created an online photo gallery on the Blue page. The Postal Service also shared a series of 30-second videos

on its social media channels, highlighting the heartfelt messages from customers.

The public also showed its support with a grassroots campaign to “save the Post Office” by buying more

stamps. At the height of the lockdowns, in April 2020, national news media reported that people were rushing to

Monteith interview, 7.

Oral history interview with Dr. Joshua Colin, November 22, 2021, 3, USPS COVID-19 Oral History Project, in files of USPS

Historian.

Colin interview, 6.

Seaver interview, 7.

“Essential Service in Uncertain Times,” The Postal Record, May 2020, 11.

Seaver, 8.

Seaver, 9.

buy stamps to save the Postal Service.

The idea gained enough traction that it found its way into a Saturday

Night Live skit, in which a fortune teller in 2019 predicted that in 2020, one of her clients would “ask everyone in

[her] life to buy stamps, and they do. They all buy the stamps.”

Monteith recalled, “We went from an average of

60,000 orders a week … to … one week we were up over 200,000 orders.”

Customers also showed their support for the Postal Service in a series of public opinion surveys. In a 2020 poll

conducted by the Pew Research Center at the beginning of the COVID lockdowns, the Postal Service topped

the list of federal agencies viewed favorably by the American public. The results showed an overwhelming 91

percent of respondents had a favorable view of the Postal Service, higher than any other federal agency.

In June 2020, the Harris Poll ranked the Postal Service first in overall performance during the coronavirus

pandemic, topping the nation’s largest companies. The survey was conducted between January and April, just

as many businesses curtailed operations and many Americans began sheltering at home. It asked respondents

to rank 100 essential businesses on four key measures: resolve, integrity, responsiveness, and permanence.

The Postal Service ranked No. 1 overall, ahead of companies such as Clorox, Google, UPS, and Walmart.

Storey recalled, “That was a proud moment. … To be recognized as number one in [the Harris Poll] was very

good — good for our morale and good for the organization.”

See, for example, Austin Horn, “Hoping To Save The Postal Service, People Rush To Buy Stamps,” NPR.org, April 14, 2020,

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/14/834336341/hoping-to-save-the-postal-service-people-rush-to-

buy-stamps; and Brittany Anas, “People Are Buying Extra Stamps To Try To Save USPS,” Simplemost.com, April 14, 2020,

https://www.simplemost.com/people-are-buying-stamps-to-save-the-post-office/ (accessed August 18, 2022). For a timeline of

state lockdowns, see the CDC’s paper “Timing of State and Territorial COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders and Changes in

Population Movement — United States, March 1–May 31, 2020, at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/pdfs/mm6935a2-

H.pdf (accessed August 8, 2022).

“Madame Vivelda,” Saturday Night Live, S46 E4, NBC.com, October 24, 2020, https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-

live/video/madame-vivelda/4254864 (accessed August 18, 2022).

Monteith interview, 7.

Storey interview, 10.

Tributes to postal workers, 2020

In the spring of 2020, customers left thank-you notes at mailboxes, created chalk drawings on driveways and

sidewalks, and posted yard signs, thanking postal workers for continuing to deliver their mail during the pandemic.

The spontaneous outpouring of support boosted employees’ morale.

Going the extra mile for customers

Your love for your neighbors lifts us and the entire nation.

President Donald Trump to letter carrier Kyle West, May 2020

Some postal workers went above and beyond to care for their customers in need. When Cincinnati letter carrier

Kyle West learned that one of his homebound customers desperately needed toilet paper, West gladly gave him

a roll. Then West decided to reach out to about 400 of his customers who he knew were elderly. He distributed a

note with his phone number: “If you are at risk and need help getting essential items, let me know. I will do what

I can to help. Sincerely, Mailman Kyle.”

West heard from dozens of his customers with urgent needs, and even

more who offered to donate the much-needed supplies — including toilet paper, milk, paper towels and soap —

that he distributed while delivering his route. The story of his inspiring actions made national news headlines,

and he was recognized for his service by President Donald Trump at a White House ceremony.

Another Ohio letter carrier, Kathleen Budzik,

learned that an elderly couple on her route was

unable to buy groceries. Before going home,

Budzik stopped at the store and delivered

groceries to them the next morning. “We got a

knock on the door and Kathy was standing

there with a bag of groceries,” the husband

said. “It warmed our hearts up to see that

somebody had actually cared for other people.”

Said Budzik, “The smallest little thing you can

do for someone goes so far.”

Similar service was performed by letter carrier

Agnes Small in California. She offered to buy

groceries for some of her customers who lived

in a retirement community that enforced strict

isolation. A few of her customers gave her

shopping lists; she bought the items and

delivered the supplies to her customers at the

end of her workday.

Vaccines and variants

The delivery of two commercial vaccines in less than a year is nothing short of miraculous.

David Shulkin, MD, January 2021

The search for a safe and effective vaccine began almost as soon as COVID-19 reached pandemic status. The

search got a major boost in May 2020 when President Trump launched Operation Warp Speed, a partnership

between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense that aimed to

accelerate the development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, with doses available by January 2021. The

goal was widely criticized as unrealistic — traditionally, vaccines took 10 or more years to develop.

The

accomplishment of that goal in less than a year was unprecedented. In December 2020, two of the vaccines

President Donald Trump, “Remarks Honoring the Hard Work, Heroism, and Hope Demonstrated by American Citizens During the

Coronavirus Pandemic,” May 1, 2020, The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/341910

(accessed August 18, 2022).

U.S. Postal Service, “Sincerely, Mailman Kyle,” Link news site, May 12, 2020, https://link.usps.com/2020/05/11/sincerely-mailman-

kyle/ (accessed August 18, 2022).

Mike Brookbank, “Mail carrier makes special delivery of groceries to elderly couple in need,” News5Cleveland.com, April 1, 2020,

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/continuing-coverage/coronavirus/mail-carriers-role-during-coronavirus-outbreak-evolves

(accessed August 18, 2022).

“Going Above and Beyond,” The Postal Record, July 2020, 14.

David Shulkin, MD, “What Health Care Can Learn from Operation Warp Speed,” NEJM Catalyst, January 21, 2021,

https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.21.0001 (accessed August 18, 2022).

U.S. Government Accountability Office, “Operation Warp Speed: Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccine Development Status and Efforts

to Address Manufacturing Challenges,” GAO-21-319, February 11, 2021, https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-319 (accessed

August 18, 2022).

President Trump and Letter Carrier Kyle West, 2020

Cincinnati letter carrier Kyle West went to extraordinary lengths

to make sure his elderly customers got essential items during the

lockdown. He was honored by President Donald Trump at a

White House ceremony on May 1, 2020.

under development — by Pfizer and Moderna — were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for

emergency use. On December 14, a nurse in New York became the first American outside a clinical trial to

receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The availability of vaccines in early 2021 offered the nation

hope that there was light at the end of the tunnel. Initial

supplies of vaccine were limited, and essential workers were

prioritized for vaccination. As essential employees, most

postal workers were eligible for vaccination in the second

group, Phase 1B — after health care workers and residents of

long-term care facilities, but ahead of the general population.

The timing of the vaccine rollout varied by state and county. In

some areas, front-line postal workers were eligible for

vaccination in January or February 2021, but in others, they

needed to wait until March. Some administrative staff,

meanwhile, were first eligible for vaccination in April.

The impact of vaccinations on the Postal Service was

pronounced. “When the vaccines became available,” said

David Ellis, “we started to see evidence of declines of positive

cases.”

In January 2021, the Postal Service had as many as

18,000 employees out of work daily due to COVID, but that

number began dropping as more employees got vaccinated.

For COVID command this was welcome news. “That was like,

‘Alright, we're going to get through this — we're starting to see

it drop a little bit,’" said Simon Storey.

The Postal Service

urged all employees who wished to be vaccinated to do so as

soon as possible, but never required employees to get

vaccinated.

While vaccines helped flatten the curve of new infections, they did not eradicate COVID. Some Americans were

resistant to getting vaccinated. And “COVID fatigue”— weariness of the restrictions and stress caused by the

pandemic — and the availability of vaccines led many jurisdictions to relax restrictions designed to prevent the

spread, which led to a resurgence of COVID in some locations. Meanwhile, the virus that caused COVID-19

continued to mutate, and some of the mutations spawned new variants.

During the summer of 2021, the Delta variant became the dominant strain in the U.S. and kicked off a new wave

of infections. As the Delta wave subsided in the fall, the CDC recommended boosters for adults and initial

vaccinations for some children. Then WHO identified a new variant, Omicron, as an emerging threat. The first

case of the Omicron variant was detected in the U.S. on December 1, 2021. More contagious than earlier

variants, Omicron spread quickly and by December 20, 2021, was reportedly the dominant strain in the U.S.

Ellis interview, 6.

Storey interview, 11.

On September 9, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring vaccination of all federal workers, with certain

exceptions. It was unclear if the order included the Postal Service, which was legally bound to negotiate any changes in working

conditions with its labor unions. On November 5, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an

emergency temporary standard (ETS) that ordered employees in organizations with more than 100 workers to either be

vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly. The ETS was widely challenged in court and temporarily halted from taking

effect. Ultimately, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments on the order and OSHA extended the compliance deadline until

January 10, 2022. On January 4, the Postal Service requested a temporary variance to the ETS and a 120-day extension to the

deadline. The Postal Service also requested an interim order that would allow the organization to continue using its current

COVID-19 mitigation policies and protocols while the legal validity of the ETS was challenged in federal court. On January 13,

2022, the Supreme Court struck down the ETS, stating in part that the Secretary of Labor “lacked authority to impose the

mandate” (see NFIB v. OSHA, January 13, 2022, at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a244_hgci.pdf).

Travis Caldwell and Claire Colbert, “Omicron is now the dominant strain of coronavirus in the US, according to the CDC,”

CNN.com, December 21, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/20/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.html (accessed August

18, 2022).

Rural carrier receiving vaccine, 2021

The availability of vaccines in early 2021 meant

fewer positive cases of COVID and less

employee absences. Here a Florida rural carrier

pulls up his sleeve for a shot of vaccine.

Delivering America’s COVID-19 test kits

There are few assignments the Postal Service has received that better exemplify our public

service mission than the request of the Biden administration to deliver America’s COVID-19 test

kits.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, March 2022

In December 2021, to head off another wave of COVID infections, the Biden Administration pushed for

increased testing options. This included sending free rapid test kits directly to American households. The FDA

had authorized at-home COVID tests for use by prescription in November 2020, and for sale over the counter

the following month, but supplies were limited. As the Omicron variant of virus spread in December 2021, the

demand for at-home COVID tests overwhelmed the supply.

Just days before Christmas, the White House contacted Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to see if the Postal

Service would be able to deliver half a billion COVID tests to American households within just a few weeks.

DeJoy answered a resounding “yes” — not only could the Postal Service deliver the tests, but it could accept,

process, and pack the orders as well. DeJoy, who joined the Postal Service after a successful career in the

logistics industry, told Federal News Network, “We had never done picking and packing and order management

and so forth within the organization to that extent. That was my whole prior life.”

The Postal Service pivoted from the peak holiday delivery season to focus on the delivery of the test kits. Quick

negotiations with the American Postal Workers Union allowed many seasonal workers to be reassigned from

their holiday roles to work on test kit fulfillment. Newly acquired annex facilities were reconfigured to ensure the

workspace and storage capacity could handle the influx of millions of test kits. In one week, 2,000 employees

were trained to fulfill and label packages containing COVID tests.

The Postal Service’s IT team — led by chief information officer Pritha Mehra and chief technology officer Scott

Bombaugh — quickly created an easy-to-use website for the public to order test kits at www.covidtests.gov.

Mehra later said, “We first looked at our own Postal Store, which is our storefront for … [ordering] stamps and

shipping supplies. We geared it up, we kept throwing servers at it — hundreds of servers.”

A toll-free phone

U.S. Postal Service, “COVID-19 tests,” Link news site, March 3, 2022, https://link.usps.com/2022/03/02/covid-19-tests-2/

(accessed August 18, 2022).

Jory Heckman, “‘We rocked it.’ How USPS pulled off delivering 380 million COVID-19 tests,” Federal News Network, May 30,

2022, https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2022/05/we-rocked-it-how-usps-pulled-off-delivering-380-million-covid-19-tests/

(accessed August 18, 2022).

Amazon Web Services, “AWS Washington DC Summit 2022 – Keynote with Max Peterson,” YouTube.com, AWS Events, May 26,

2022, https://youtu.be/O2_3RaXv6bY (accessed August 18, 2022).

Packing and delivering COVID-19 test kits, 2022

In January 2022, letter carriers began delivering free COVID-19 test kits to U.S. households upon request. This was the

first time in history that the Postal Service partnered with the White House and other federal agencies on a nationwide

emergency response mailing.

number was established for those who lacked internet access or who needed help ordering. Test kits were

offered to every U.S. household, including those in U.S. territories and at military and diplomatic addresses

overseas.

The website went live on January 18, 2022, and the Postal Service began fulfilling and shipping out orders as

soon as test kits became available. In the first six hours after the website went live, the Postal Service received

orders for 42 million tests. On average, it took 1.2 days for the Postal Service to deliver a test kit package once it

entered the mailstream — in part because of the strategic siting of the Postal Service’s nationwide fulfillment

hubs. On February 22, the Postal Service delivered more than 6 million COVID-19 test kit packages — the

highest single-day volume delivered since shipping began at the end of January. After the initial offer of four free

tests in January, Americans were offered additional opportunities to order free tests — four more in March, and

eight more beginning in April. In April 2022, President Joe Biden called the Postal Service’s test kit delivery “an

impressive turnaround for an unprecedented task.”

Impact of the pandemic on USPS finances and

legislative relief

If you look at 2020 as a whole … between the

pandemic and the election, it was an incredible way

of demonstrating the criticality of the Postal Service's

infrastructure.

Kristin Seaver, former chief information officer and executive vice

president, January 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the global

economy. Many businesses ceased operating — some

permanently — due to quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, and

travel restrictions. In 2020, as much U.S. economic activity

ground to a halt, the combined revenue from First-Class Mail

and Marketing Mail fell by $3.1 billion. In fiscal year 2021,

Marketing Mail volume increased slightly — in part because of

political and election mail during the 2020 election season —

while First-Class Mail volume continued to decline. Meanwhile,

parcel volume surged as more and more Americans turned to

online shopping. Revenue from packages increased by

approximately $5.8 billion in 2020, and $3.5 billion in 2021.

Overall, the Postal Service’s operating revenue increased by 2.8

percent in 2020, and 5.3 percent in 2021.

Still, the Postal Service experienced net losses in both 2020 and

2021, due partly to expenses related to the pandemic. These

included increased transportation costs, the purchase and

management of PPE, the cost of sanitizing work areas, and

increased labor costs, including for sick leave and overtime.

Cumulatively, nearly 20 percent of the postal workforce needed

to quarantine at some point during 2020, leading to increased

use of paid leave and overtime. The cost of air transportation increased due to the cancellation of commercial

flights, which required the diversion of mail to more costly chartered flights. The surge in parcel volume

increased highway transportation costs. As of September 2020, the Postal Service reported about $744 million

in pandemic-related spending. This included $204 million spent on safety and cleaning supplies, $124 million

spent on transportation expenses, and the greatest expense — the cost of COVID-related leave — $402

million.

President Joe Biden, “Remarks by President Biden at Signing of H.R. 3076, the ‘Postal Service Reform Act of 2022,’” April 6,

2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/04/06/remarks-by-president-biden-at-signing-of-h-r-

3076-the-postal-service-reform-act-of-2022/ (accessed August 18, 2022).

Seaver interview, 9.

U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, “Impact of Pandemic on Postal Service Finances,” Report Number 20-257-R21,

March 29, 2021, 1, https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2021/20-257-R21.pdf (accessed Aug 18,

Protecting the public during the

pandemic

Since 1872, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service

has pursued swindlers and scam artists

attempting to defraud American consumers via

the U.S. Mail. During the COVID-19 pandemic,

fraudsters employed an array of scams to cheat

people out of their money. Most of the ploys

were variations of time-tested tricks, like

phishing emails, hoax calls, and investment

scams. But some were unique to the pandemic,

including the sale of counterfeit vaccination

cards and fake cures for COVID-19, contact

tracing scams designed to steal victims’

personal information, and PPE supply scams.

Fraudsters also illegally pocketed millions in

federal funds that were intended to protect

American workers and the U.S. economy.

In September 2021, postal inspectors arrested

a New York man on pandemic-related charges

of mail fraud and identity theft. Among other

crimes, the man admitted to using stolen

identification to make bogus unemployment

insurance claims earning him $131,560 in

pandemic-related benefits. He was sentenced

to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay

restitution. Postal inspectors also helped nab a

Florida man who bought himself a Lamborghini

and other luxury goods after fraudulently

obtaining $3.9 million in COVID-related aid from

the U.S. Government.

To lessen the impact of the pandemic on the U.S. economy, Congress swiftly passed an unprecedented $2.2

trillion stimulus package. Signed into law on March 27, 2020, the CARES Act sent direct payments of up to

$1,200 to millions of Americans. The CARES Act, as amended in December 2020 by the Consolidated

Appropriations Act, acknowledged the extraordinary costs borne by the Postal Service during the pandemic and

authorized the agency to receive up $10 billion from the U.S. Treasury to fund operating expenses.

As of

July 29, 2021, all $10 billion had been received. In March 2021, the President signed the American Rescue Plan

Act of 2021, which included $570 million in funding for COVID-19 related leave taken from March 12 through

September 30, 2021, for all federal employees, including postal employees. The Postal Service received $269.7

million in reimbursements under this law.

While these laws provided necessary relief, even more was needed. The Postal Service had been in a financial

crisis for more than a decade, reporting net losses every year since 2007, in part because of a 2006 law that

required it to aggressively prefund future retiree health care benefits. Since 2010, the Postal Service had asked

Congress for postal reform legislation, but year after year, postal reform bills had stalled in committee. On

March 8, 2022, after more than a decade of debate, Congress passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022

with strong bipartisan support. The legislation was a key component of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s

Delivering for America plan, a 10-year strategic plan to return the Postal Service to financial sustainability and

service excellence. Some legislators pointed to the Delivering for America plan as key to winning their support

for the act. But it’s also true that the pandemic highlighted the critical role that the Postal Service played in the

life of the nation. Upon signing the act into law on April 6, President Joe Biden stated:

The Postal Service is fundamental to our economy, to our democracy, to our health, and the very sense of

who we are as a nation. … This bill recognizes the Postal Service is a public service, and we’re ensuring

that it can continue to serve all Americans for generations to come.

COVID command disbanded

We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, April 2022

After peaking in January 2022, when the 7-day average case count exceeded 800,000, new COVID cases

began to decline. On May 12, President Biden marked a somber milestone. He ordered flags to be flown at half-

staff in “memory of the one million American lives lost to COVID-19.”

Worldwide, deaths exceeded 6 million.

In March 2022, with the number of COVID-19 cases in decline, the Postal Service ended its mandatory face-

covering policy for employees. The 5-day-per-week telework policy ended on April 18, 2022. By mutual

agreement, the remaining COVID-19 MOUs signed with the unions, scheduled to expire on May 6, were not

extended. At the same time, the Postal Service ended its liberal leave policy.

On May 20, 2022, the COVID-19 Response Command Team was disbanded. The Postal Service continued

tracking cases of COVID-19 and provided regular reports to stakeholders, including unions and associations.

Close contact tracing and return-to-work protocols for infected and exposed employees remained in effect and

the Postal Service continued to encourage social distancing.

2022). The expanded leave options available from April 1 through December 31, 2020, authorized by the Families First

Coronavirus Act, were USPS-funded.

The CARES Act provided that the Postal Service could borrow up to $10 billion to fund operating expenses associated with the

COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, funding was stalled by the Administration; in July 2020 Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stepped

in and negotiated an agreement in principle with the Treasury Department on loan terms and conditions. The Consolidated

Appropriations Act amended the CARES Act to remove the repayment requirement.

Biden, op cit.

PBS NewsHour, “Dr. Fauci on why the U.S. is ‘out of the pandemic phase,’” Public Broadcasting Service, April 26, 2022,

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/dr-fauci-on-why-the-u-s-is-out-of-the-pandemic-phase-2 (accessed August 18, 2022).

President Joe Biden, “A Proclamation on Remembering the 1,000,000 Americans Lost to COVID-⁠19,” May 12, 2022,

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/05/12/a-proclamation-on-remembering-the-1000000-

americans-lost-to-covid-19/ (accessed August 18, 2022).

The COVID-19 pandemic lasted far longer than most people could have imagined. When Karen Meehan, an

employee at postal headquarters, returned to her L’Enfant Plaza office, she encountered a “surreal” scene. She

said:

I felt like a survivor of an apocalypse. Office plants lay brown and dried up, abandoned by their owners. The

calendars, all turned to March 2020, marked the day the world shut down. Most everyone thought the return

to work would be soon — maybe a couple of weeks. But a couple of weeks turned into a couple of months,

then a couple of years, as the pandemic dragged on. Meanwhile, the calendar pages in the building stayed

on March 2020, a constant reminder of the day the world “stopped.”

HISTORIAN

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

SEPTEMBER 2022

Karen Meehan, director, USPS International Pricing and Financial Reporting, in email to Steve Kochersperger, senior research

analyst, Postal History, May 5, 2022; copy in files of USPS Historian.

Appendix A: Postcard with President’s Coronavirus Guidelines

Appendix B: Key Dates in COVID-19 Pandemic and Postal Service Response

2020

Jan. 5

World Health Organization (WHO) reports an

unknown virus has caused a cluster of pneumonia

cases in Wuhan, China.

Jan. 6

PMG Megan Brennan agrees to delay retirement

until her successor is selected.

Jan. 11

The first death caused by the novel coronavirus is

reported in China.

Jan. 13

First case confirmed outside of China.

Jan. 17

CDC begins screening passengers on flights from

Wuhan at San Francisco, New York City, and Los

Angeles.

Jan. 20

CDC confirms the first U.S. laboratory-confirmed

case of COVID-19 in the U.S. from samples taken

in Washington state.

Jan. 29

The White House Coronavirus Task Force is

established.

Jan. 31

WHO declares a Global Public Health Emergency;

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

declares a public health emergency.

Feb. 10

USPS suspends guarantee on Priority Mail

Express International to China and Hong Kong due

to flight cancellations and restrictions.

Feb. 11

WHO announces the official name for the disease:

COVID-19, short for “coronavirus disease 2019.”

USPS advises employees to wash hands with

soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

Feb. 29

The first death from COVID-19 in the U.S. is

reported by officials in Washington state.

Mar. 1

First postal worker tests positive for coronavirus,

near Seattle.

Mar. 4

Daily cleaning protocols for postal facilities are

updated.

Mar. 9

PMG Brennan urges employees, “If you are sick,

stay home and get well.”

Mar. 11

WHO declares a global pandemic.

Mar. 13

President Trump declares a nationwide emergency

and issues a travel ban on non-U.S. citizens

entering U.S. from Europe.

Mar. 15

U.S. states begin to shut down to prevent the

spread of COVID-19.

New York City public schools shut down; Ohio calls

for restaurants and bars to close.

Mar. 17

USPS restricts business-related travel.

USPS instructs its vehicle operators to clean

frequently touched surfaces in their vehicles if

operators had COVID symptoms.

Mar. 18

President Trump signs the Families First

Coronavirus Response Act into law, expanding

USPS-funded paid sick leave for employees from

April 1 through December 31.

Telework becomes a 5-day a week option for

many USPS administrative employees.

USPS provides employees with “Guidance on

Social Gatherings,” including avoiding “gatherings

of more than 10 people” and “close contact (within

6 feet) with other people to the degree possible.”

Mar. 19

California issues statewide stay-at-home order.

USPS temporarily modifies delivery procedures for

mail requiring a customer’s signature to facilitate

social distancing.

Mar. 20

New York orders all non-essential businesses to

close as the number of COVID-19 cases in the

state exceeds 7,000.

PMG Brennan creates USPS COVID-19 Response

Command Team, taking top executives out of their

official positions to focus full-time on pandemic

response.

Mar. 21

USPS begins delivering “President Trump’s

Coronavirus Guidelines for America” postcards to

all 138 million residential addresses in the nation.

Mar. 25

U.S. COVID-19 death toll surpasses 1,000.

A New York letter carrier becomes the first postal

worker known to die from COVID.

Mar. 26

USPS provides managers and carriers with letters

for customers concerned about accepting mail,

with information on alternative delivery options.

Mar. 27

President Trump signs CARES Act into law, which

authorizes USPS to borrow up to $10 billion from

U.S. Treasury for COVID-related operating

expenses.

USPS provides “Essential Service Provider” letter

to facilitate employee travel in areas with state and

local travel restrictions.

Mar. 28

USPS extends hold time for mail for closed

businesses from 10 days to 30 days.

Mar. 29

U.S. death toll surpasses 3,000.

April 1–30

Unemployment rate reaches 14.8 percent, the

highest rate since data collection began in 1948.

April 4

U.S. death toll surpasses 10,000.

April 9

PMG Brennan advises House Oversight and

Reform Committee that USPS may run out of

money before the end of FY2020, as mail volume

falls along with the nation’s economic activity.

USPS tops Pew Research Center poll of federal

agencies.

April 11

U.S. death toll surpasses 24,000.

For the first time in U.S. history, all 50 states have

simultaneous federal major disaster declarations.

April 14

USPS temporarily extends the timeframes for

when a mailpiece will be returned to sender, to 30

days.

April 20

USPS begins processing and delivering an

estimated 60 million stimulus payments from the

U.S. Treasury Department to U.S. households

nationwide.

USPS establishes COVID-19 Supplies Command

Center.

April 21

USPS face covering policy modified, making

masks mandatory when required by local or state

orders and in postal facilities when social

distancing cannot be maintained.

April 23

U.S. death toll surpasses 50,000.

April 27

Nationwide confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 1

million.

May 1

Letter carrier Kyle West is honored at the White

House for extraordinary care of his customers.

May 23

FLSA Special Exempt status granted to FLSA-

exempt postmasters through July 23, allowing for

overtime pay in certain circumstances.

May 24

U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpass 100,000.

June 5

USPS COVID-19 Command Team transitions from

full-time emergency response to ongoing

operations, with executives coordinating response

as part of their official positions.

June 9

Total U.S. COVID-19 cases exceed 2 million.

June 12

USPS tops The Harris Poll Essential 100 in

COVID-19 response.

June 15

Louis DeJoy sworn in as nation’s 75

Postmaster

General.

July 29

Treasury Department and Postal Service negotiate

an agreement in principle on terms and conditions

for loan of funds authorized by the CARES Act.

Nov. 3

Election Day: in the presidential election, a record

43 percent of voters cast their ballots by mail, in

part to avoid COVID infection.

Dec. 13

FDA authorizes emergency use of the Pfizer–

BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine; the vaccine begins

shipment to all 50 states.

Dec. 14

A nurse in New York becomes the first American

outside a clinical trial to receive a COVID-19

vaccine.

Dec. 18

FDA authorizes emergency use of

the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Dec. 27

President Trump signs the Consolidated

Appropriations Act, 2021, which amends CARES

Act to remove repayment requirement for $10

billion for COVID-related USPS operating

expenses.

Dec. 24

An estimated one million people in the U.S. are

vaccinated against COVID-19.

2021

Jan. 20

USPS urges employees to not delay getting

vaccinated.

Feb. 15

U.S. COVID deaths surpass 500,000.

Feb. 27

FDA authorizes emergency use of the Johnson &

Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Mar. 8

CDC announces that fully vaccinated people can

gather indoors without masks.

Mar. 11

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 signed into law

by President Biden creates new federally-funded

leave category through Sept. 30, 2021: Emergency

Federal Employee Leave (EFEL).

Mar. 23

USPS releases Delivering for America plan, its

strategic 10-year plan for achieving financial

stability and service excellence.

April 27

USPS announces acceleration of key network

infrastructure investments ahead of 2021 holiday

season to help cope with surge in packages.

June 1

Delta variant becomes dominant strain in the U.S.

July 27

USPS no longer requires fully vaccinated

employees to wear face coverings, except where

required by local regulations.

Aug. 27

USPS mandatory face covering policy is reinstated

to slow the spread of the Delta variant.

Nov. 5

OSHA issues an Emergency Temporary Standard

(ETS) requiring that employees in companies with

more than 100 workers be vaccinated or subjected

to weekly testing.

Dec. 1

First case of Omicron variant confirmed in the U.S.

Dec. 14

U.S. COVID deaths surpass 800,000.

Dec. 20

Omicron becomes the dominant strain in the U.S.

Dec. 27

CDC cuts recommended isolation and quarantine

periods for COVID-19 infections and exposures.

2022

Jan. 4

USPS seeks temporary relief from OSHA’s ETS,

set to take effect on Jan. 10.

Jan. 13

Supreme Court strikes down ETS.

Jan. 18

In partnership with White House and other federal

agencies, USPS begins taking, fulfilling, and

delivering orders for COVID-19 test kits to U.S.

households nationwide.

Feb. 22

USPS delivers more than 6 million COVID test kits

— a single-day record.

Mar. 29

USPS mandatory face covering policy ends.

April 6

President Biden signs the Postal Service Reform

Act of 2022 into law, repealing the requirement that

USPS annually prepay future retiree health

benefits.

April 18

Optional 5-day-per-week telework policy for

administrative employees ends.

May 20

USPS disbands its COVID-19 Response

Command Team, transitioning ongoing pandemic

response to Human Resources, Labor Relations,

and the Law Department.

Appendix C: COVID-19 — Initial Decision Tree

Appendix D: List of COVID-19 Stand-Up Talks

Note: In the list below, “POC-NOC” stands for Postal Operations Command/Network Operations Command; the

“POC-NOC” email distribution list includes all operational units and all Post Offices. SUTs “not sent on POC-

NOC” were sent by functional areas to targeted groups on a need-to-know basis.

SUT #

AUDIENCE & TOPIC

DATE

ALL EMPLOYEES: Staying healthy

01.24.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Health tips

02.11.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Staying vigilant

02.25.2020

ISC EMPLOYEES: COVID-19 (not sent on POC-NOC)

03.05.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: PMG video update

03.09.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Resources available

03.11.2020

DELIVERY: Staying vigilant

03.16.2020

DELIVERY: Vehicle cleaning

03.17.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Social gathering guidance

03.18.2020

RETAIL: Prevention and response (not sent on POC-NOC)

03.19.2020

DELIVERY: Customer signature service

03.19.2020

DELIVERY: Response and prevention

03.23.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: National mailing

03.21.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Operations continue

03.23.2020

RETAIL: Practicing social distancing

03.25.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: EAP available

03.25.2020

MAIL PROCESSING: Interacting with HCR

03.28.2020

DELIVERY: Staying vigilant

03.26.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Employee privacy

03.31.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Essential Service Provider letter

03.27.2020

RETAIL: PO Box payment grace period

03.27.2020

DELIVERY & RETAIL OPERATIONS: Business closed---hold mail

03.28.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Families First Coronavirus Response Act

04.02.2020

DELIVERY: Food Drive postponement

04.01.2020

MAIL PROCESSING: Guidelines for handling PVS drivers

04.02.2020

RETAIL: Signatures for Payment Card Transactions (not sent on POC-NOC)

03.31.2020

DELIVERY: Carrier training social distancing

04.03.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Interacting with VMF personnel

04.03.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: COVID-19 supplies — purchasing updates

04.03.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Handling the media (not sent on POC-NOC)

04.21.2020

RETAIL: Sneeze guards for window counters

04.04.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Additional CDC guidance

04.05.2020

DELIVERY & RETAIL: EIP mailings

04.23.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face covering and mask update

04.21.2020

BMEU: Detached Mail Unit guidance

04.15.2020

RETAIL: Self-service kiosk social distancing

04.25.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Heat illness prevention

04.27.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Updates from CDC

05.01.2020

DELIVERY RETAIL MAIL PROCESSING: Business hold mail extended

04.30.2020

DELIVERY & RETAIL: Return to Sender extension (not sent on POC-NOC)

04.17.2020

RETAIL: PO Boxes payment grace period (not sent on POC-NOC)

04.30.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Contractor on-site procedures

05.06.2020

Message to reassigned employee(s) (Ops distributed, posted on COVID-19 site)

05.06.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Essential Services

06.01.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Proper use of Voyager card

07.02.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: New face coverings and labels

07.10.2020

DELIVERY AND RETAIL: Hold Mail service

07.27.2020

DELIVERY: Customer Signature Service

08.04.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face covering and mask reminder

08.20.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: FFCRA leave

08.27.2020

DELIVERY AND RETAIL: Customer Signature Service

10.14.2020

DELIVERY: Keeping your vehicle clean

11.04.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Protecting everyone’s safety and wellness

10.30.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Protecting everyone’s safety and wellness

11.13.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Social Distancing

11.18.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: COVID-19 Symptoms

11.27.2020

DELIVERY: Carrier pickup

11.30.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Essential services update

12.07.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face coverings update

12.16.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: Staying respectful

12.29.2020

ALL EMPLOYEES: COVID-19 vaccine availability

01.07.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: COVID-19 vaccine availability update

01.20.2021

DELIVERY: Customer Signature Service

01.28.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: COVID-19 vaccine eligibility

05.07.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: Emergency federal employee leave

05.10.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face covering and mask update

05.19.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: Unemployment insurance fraud

05.27.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face covering and mask update

07.27.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face coverings policy reinstated

09.08.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: Emergency federal employee leave ends September 30

10.01.2021

ALL EMPLOYEES: Temporary COVID-19 vaccination variance request

01.04.2022

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face covering policy reminder

02.07.2022

ALL EMPLOYEES: Face coverings update

03.31.2022

Customer Signature Capture Process

03.31.2022

Appendix E: Lists of Pandemic-Responsive MOUs (to August 2022)

American Postal Workers Union (Clerks, Maintenance, Motor Vehicle Service, and Nurses)

• APWU COVID MOU Extension Letter 03/22/2022

• COVID-19 MOUs Extended through February 11, 2022

• APWU COVID MOU Extension Letter 02/04/2022

• APWU COVID MOU Extension Letter 06/03/2021

• COVID-19 MOUs Extended through June 4, 2021

• Extension of MOU Temporary Step-3 and Arbitration Appeals – extension through Mar. 26, 2021

• MOU Temporary Additional Paid Leave for PSEs – extension through Mar. 26, 2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave Extension – Sep. 28, 2020

• MOU extensions through Dec. 31 – effective Sep. 18, 2020

• Memorandum of Understanding – 02/03/2022

• Memorandum of Understanding – 09/03/2020

• Memorandum of Understanding – 05/21/2020

• Annual Leave Exchange for Leave Year 2021

• Annual Leave Carryover for Leave Year 2021

• Information Technology and Accounting Service AL Exchange Option for Leave Year 2021

• Information Technology and Accounting Service AL Carryover for Leave Year 2021

• National Postal Professional Nurses AL Exchange for Leave Year 2021

• National Postal Professional Nurses AL Carryover for Leave Year 2021

• MOU extensions through Sept. 25 — effective July 13, 2020

• Additional Extension on Timeline for Local Implementation

• Bulk Mail Tech and Mailing Requirement Clerk Position Qualification MOU

• Claims & Inquiries Clerks and Complaints & Inquiry Clerks Telework – 04/10/2020

• Customer Retention Sites Telework – 03/24/2020

• Exception for MOU re: Transfers – COVID-19 Related Absences – 04/22/2020

• Enterprise Customer Care Centers (CCCs) Telework – 03/19/2020

• Extension on Timeline for Local Implementation

• Human Resources Shared Service Center (HRSSC) Bargaining Unit Telework – 03/18/2020

• Information Technology and Accounting Services Bargaining Unit Telework

• Information Technology Service Desk Memorandum of Understanding – 04/01/2020

• Line H Work Hours and Liability — Custodians and Custodial Employees – 04/06/2020

• Mailing & Shipping Solutions Center (MSSC) Bargaining Unit Telework – 03/19/2020

• Maintenance Craft – Promotion Pending Qualification

• National Material Distribution Center (MDC) Bargaining Unit Telework

• Occupational Health Nurse Telework Memorandum of Understanding – 04/01/2020

• Temporary Additional Paid Leave for PSEs; Temporary Expanded SLDC during COVID-19 –

03/18/2020

• Temporary Exception Period – Clerk Craft Staffing Function 1 and Function 4 – 12/21/2020

• Temporary Exception Period – Clerk Craft Staffing Function 1 and Function 4 – 03/27/2020

• Temporary Exception for Level 18 Postmasters Performing Bargaining Unit Work – 03/24/2020

• Temporary Expanded SLDC During COVID-19 – National Postal Professional Nurses

• Temporary Extension on Article 19 Notifications Timelines – 03/31/2020

• Temporary Extension on Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals

• Temporary Extension on Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals - Extended

• Temporary Motor Vehicle Craft Staffing – COVID-19 – 04/09/2020

• Temporary Resources for COVID-19 Related Cleaning Requirements – 04/22/2020

Management Organizations

(NAPS = National Association of Postal Supervisors; UPMA = United Postmasters of America)

• NAPS Temporary Modification to Pay Provision for Exempt EAS Field Employees – 02/08/2022

• Response to NAPS Wagner – Additional Pay – 05/20/2020

• UPMA Temporary Modification to Pay Provisions for Exempt Postmasters – 02/08/2022

• Response to UPMA Special Exempt Status – 05/20/2020

• Extension Temp Pay Provision for Exempt EAS Field Employees Dec. 21, 2021

• COVID – Extension of Tulino 052020 Memorandum-Temporary Modification to Pay Provision for

Exempt EAS Field Employees

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave Extension – Sep. 28, 2020

• National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) AL Carryover and Exchange for Leave Year 2020

• United Postmasters and Managers of America (UPMA) AL Carryover and Exchange for Leave Year

2020

• National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) SLDC Notification Letter

• United Postmasters and Managers of America (UPMA) SLDC Notification Letter

National Association of Letter Carriers

• NALC COVID MOU Extension Letter – 03/24/2022

• MOU – Ext SB and Arb (5-6-2022) – 03/24/2022

• MOU – Signing OTDL ext. (5-6-2022) – 03/24/2022

• NALC COVID MOU Extension Letter – 02/04/2022

• NALC COVID MOU Extension Letter – 12/31/2021

• MOU Extensions – NALC – 02/03/2022

• MOU Extensions – NALC – 12/21/2021

• MOU Extensions – NALC – 09/30/2021

• MOU Signing OT lists extension – 02/03/2022

• MOU Signing OT lists extension – 12/20/2021

• MOU Signing OT lists extension – 09/30/2021

• MOU Extension on Step B and Arbitration time limits – 02/03/2022

• MOU Extension on Step B and Arbitration time limits – 12/20/2021

• MOU 7-01 time – 03/23/2020

• MOU Social Distancing – 03/30/2020

• MOU Suspension of CCA Leave – 03/19/2021

• MOU Temporary Carrier Assistants – 03/30/2020

• NALC MOU - Expanded SLDC – 03/18/2020

• MOU Temporary Time Limits – 09/30/2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave – 09/30/2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave – 03/23/2020

• MOU - Reinstatement of Temporary Additional Paid Leave for CCAs – 09/30/2021

• NALC COVID MOU Extension Letter – 06/03/2021

• COVID MOU Extension - NALC – 06/03/2021

• Temporary Time Limit Extension on Step B and Arbitration Appeals – extension through June 4, 2021

• Signing Overtime Lists–COVID-19 – extension through June 4, 2021

• COVID-19 MOUs Extended through June 4, 2021

• MOU Signing Overtime Lists–COVID-19 – extension through Mar. 26, 2021

• MOU Temporary Additional Paid Leave for CCAs – extension through Mar. 26, 2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave Extension – Sep. 28, 2020

• MOU extensions through Dec. 31 — effective Sep. 18, 2020

• Signing Overtime Lists — COVID-19

• Temporary Time Limit Extension on Step B and Arbitration Appeals

• Temporary Workplace Changes to Promote Social Distancing — COVID-19

• Temporary Use of the ELM 432.53, City Letter Carriers (7:01 Rule)

• Temporary Additional Paid Leave for CCAs

• Memorandum of Understanding — Sept. 3, 2020

• Annual Leave Carryover for Leave Year 2021

• MOU extensions through Sept. 25 — effective July 13, 2020

• Memoranda of Understanding — May 19, 2020

• Exception to MOU re: Transfers – COVID-19 Related Absences

• Temporary Additional Paid Leave for City Carrier Assistants (CCAs); Temporary Expanded SLDC

during COVID-19

• Temporary Time Limit Extension on Step B and Arbitration Appeals

• Temporary Time Limit Extension on Step B and Arbitration Appeals Extension

• Temporary Use of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) 432.53, (7:01 Rule)

• Temporary Workplace Changes to Promote Social Distancing – COVID-19

National Association of Rural Letter Carriers

• MOU Extension NRLCA COVID – 03/22/2022

• MOU Extension NRLCA COVID – 02/02/2022

• MOU Extension NRLCA COVID – 12/21/2021

• MOU Extension NRLCA COVID – 09/30/2021

• MOU Extension NRLCA COVID – 06/03/2021

• NRLCA COVID MOUs – Officers Extension Memo – 02/04/2022

• NRLCA COVID MOUs – Officers Extension Memo – 12/31/2021

• NRLCA COVID MOUs – Officers Extension Memo – 06/03/2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave - 9-30-2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave - 3-23-2020

• NRLCA MOU - Temporary Expanded SLDC – 05/17/2020

• Social Distancing MOU NRLCA – 04/15/2020

• Temporary Additional Paid Leave for RCAs Suspension MOU

• Temporary Extension on Grievance and Arbitration Appeals – extension through June 4, 2021

• COVID-19 MOUs Extended through June 4, 2021

• MOU Temporary Extension on Grievance and Arbitration Appeals – extension through Mar. 26, 2021

• MOU Temporary Paid Leave for Rural Carrier Associates – 03/17/2021

• MOU extensions through 03/26/2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave Extension – Sep. 28, 2020

• MOU extensions through Dec. 31 — effective Sep. 18, 2020

• Memorandum of Understanding — Sept. 3, 2020

• Annual Leave Carryover for Leave Year 2021

• MOU extensions through Sept. 25 — effective July 13, 2020

• Memoranda of Understanding — May 20, 2020

• Regular Carriers MOU

• Temporary Extension on Grievance and Arbitration Appeals

• Temporary Extension on Grievance and Arbitration Appeals – Extended

• Temporary Expanded SLDC during COVID-19; Temporary Paid Leave for Rural Carrier Associates

(RCAs)

• Temporary Workplace Changes to Promote Social Distancing

National Postal Mail Handlers Union

• MOU Extension 03/25/2022 - NPMHU

• MOU Extension Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals 02/04/2022

• MOU Extension Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals 12/21/2021

• MOU Extension 02/04/2022 - NPMHU

• MOU Extension 12/21/2021 - NPMHU

• MOU Extension 06/03/2021 - NPMHU

• NPMHU COVID MOU Extension Letter – 02/04/2022

• NPMHU COVID MOU Extension Letter – 06/03/2021

• MOU - Temporary Exception Period COVID-19 – 03/19/2021

• MOU-MHA Leave 03-2021

• NPMHU Temporary Extended SLDC – 03/18/2020

• MOU Reappointment Opportunities for MHAs – 12/21/2021

• Temporary Extension on Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals – extension through June 4, 2021

• COVID-19 MOUs Extended through June 4, 2021

• MOU Temporary Extension on Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals – extension through Mar. 26, 2021

• MOU Temporary Additional Paid Leave for MHAs – extension through Mar. 26, 2021

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave Extension – Sep. 28, 2020

• MOU extensions through Dec. 31 — effective Sep. 18, 2020

• Memorandum of Understanding — Sept. 3, 2020

• Annual Leave Exchange Option for Leave Year 2021

• MOU extensions through Sept. 25 — effective July 13, 2020

• Memoranda of Understanding — May 21, 2020

• Exception for MOU Transfers – COVID-19 Related Absences

• Extension of Local Implementation Procedures Timeline

• Temporary Additional Paid Leave for Mail Handler Assistants (MHAs); Temporary Expanded SLDC

during COVID-19 – 03/18/2020

• Temporary Exception Period – COVID-19 – MHAs

• Temporary Extension on Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals

• Temporary Extension on Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals – Extended 30 Days

• Temporary Extension on Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals – Extended through June 17, 2020

Postal Police Officers Association

• Liberal Changes of Schedules and Leave Extension – Sep. 28, 2020

• Leave Carryover for Leave Year 2021

• Temporary Expanded SLDC during COVID-19

Appendix F: Essential Service Provider Letter

On March 27, 2020, Postal Service employees traveling for work in areas with local travel restrictions

were instructed to carry this letter along with their USPS-issued ID badge, to provide travel

justification in case they were stopped by state or local law enforcement.