Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
The largest courier company in the world, Deutsche Post, has stopped sending packages to China. The coronavirus outbreak, which has now claimed the lives of almost 1.700 people, has made deliveries in the region logistically impossible.
Deutsche Post announced last week that it will suspend all parcel deliveries to China, Hong Kong and Macao. A spokesperson for the company said that ongoing issues with transport and customs clearance made deliveries untenable.
Letters will continue to be delivered. However, the company added that customers should expect delays in the arrival of their mail, due to traffic restrictions.
Taiwan, located 180 kilometres from mainland China, will continue to receive packages as normal.
With 16 cases in total, Germany currently has the highest number of people who have contracted the virus (now officially known as COVID-19) in Europe.
At the end of January, Germany’s flagship airline Lufthansa announced that it would be cancelling all flights to and from China until late February. A few weeks later, this suspension was extended to March 28.