Tonga Post staff are now wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to sort incoming mail and packages from overseas as a precaution amid the global CoViD-19 outbreak.

Tonga Post CEO, ‘Alipate Tavo said this helps to protect staff after the Ministry of Health imposed restrictions for mail arriving from overseas.

A lot of mail came on the Air NZ flight last week, he said.

“The mail has to be left at the warehouse at the airport for 72 hours before our workers can go and collect it.

“And when it is brought to the mail centre, and to minimize health risk, our workers wear PPE when sorting out mail. They look like nurses,” he said.

Breathing space

‘Alipate said when the lockdown happened and with no flights allowed in, Tonga Post was planning to send out mail via ship instead because it can take a large amount.

“But now we have one flight a week and it’s giving us some breathing space.”

Mail destined for Tonga from around the world was stuck in New Zealand for a bit but is starting to come through.

“So hopefully as time goes on, there may be two flights a week. Right now, we’ve got one to receive mail and send mail.”

Staff

To date, no Tonga Post staff have been made redundant, confirmed ‘Alipate.

“We did consider letting staff go when we were advised that everything would be locked down in the beginning. “

However, he said it would not have helped anyone if we start letting staff go because we need to survive as a country.

“We just reshuffled them to help out in busy areas. We also have new activities to keep them busy.”

One activity is having a clearance sale daily at the front of the Tonga Post office selling a range of e-commerce products, cosmetics, electrical items, telephones, beauty and hair products, etc. 

“It’s easy for people to come and buy and also keep social distancing requirements. It’s very popular, a lot of people come every day.”

Impact

Since the CoViD-19 outbreak, and as countries started shutting their international borders, there have been impacts to various areas of the postal and courier services in Tonga.

Express services, promising 2 to 4 days delivery to overseas destinations, no longer exists.

Postcards and other goods for tourists are no longer sold and the Tonga Post Money Express service is on hold.

“That service is only to receive money from anywhere in the world. Our main market for that service is New Zealand, Australia, UK, and USA,“ said 'Alipate.

“It’s on hold because there is a problem with all the Money Express services overseas. Western Union and Money Gram are fine. But the Money Express service was affected just before Tonga’s lockdown as countries overseas started locking down as well.”

Tonga made goods

Courier services in Tonga are also affected

A manager from the Tonga branch of a global courier company (who did not wish to be named) told Matangi Tonga that one of the biggest impacts they are experiencing is the reduction in Tongan handicrafts such as ta’ovala, mats and koloa, that are sent to Tongans overseas.

“Normally this is our biggest week before Fakame (White Sunday for children), but it’s been slow due to the CoViD-19 outbreak.”

“People like grandmothers would send items like ta’ovala’s for their grandchildren overseas and Tongans overseas would pay for the delivery. But it’s been slow.”

The annual Free Wesleyan Church (FWC) White Sunday is celebrated in Tonga and in overseas Tongan communities during the month of May.

However, on Sunday 3 May, each FWC church in Tonga can celebrate the event during their service in the mornings, but the usual White Sunday event normally held in the afternoon has been cancelled.