Those waiting on a package from China may be in for a longer wait than expected as it was announced by the South African Post Office this week that mail to and from the country has been stopped.

On Tuesday, February 4 the South African Post Office alerted customers who have ordered packages from China to expect delays as the airline connection that allows for deliveries between South Africa and the Asian country have been stopped.

“…they are likely to be delayed, as the airline connections to and from China have been suspended,” said the mail management service on Tuesday.

This comes after China’s ongoing struggle with the coronavirus that has now been named a World Health Emergency by the World Health Organisation. The virus originated in the Wuhan city of China and has since spread across the globe with thousands of confirmed cases popping up from Australia to the UK.

Concerns have mounted among people across the globe in recent days, with many concerned that the postal service in and out of China may be spreading the virus as well. Experts say infection via the mailed items is not likely as the virus is unlikely to survive the trip from China to your front door.

Those looking to post items to China or order items from the country are advised to wait until the service is restored.

No information is currently available as to when the services will be back online but customers are being asked to be patient.

Picture: Unsplash

Shares: