Published 5th May 2020, 10:20am

During the daily press briefing on Friday, 1st May 2020 the Hon. Premier announced that Post Offices are now open to the public and allowed to operate at any time during the hours of 6:00 am and 7:00 pm. Though the Cayman Islands Postal Service (“CIPS”) can, as of 5 May 2020, legally re-open all post offices, as a caring employer the Postmaster General must balance the needs of customers with the mandate to protect the health and safety of the customers and CIPS staff.

Based on information updated on 18 March 2020, 52% of CIPS staff have one or more underlying health conditions that place them at high risk of serious illness if infected with COVID-19. Additionally, 70% of staff live in a home where at least one person is at high risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. To manage staff’s exposure, the CIPS will gradually re-open post offices as the official risk and suppression levels are reduced by the Government. Hours of operation will be updated weekly on the Contact Us page of our website.

During the week of 5th May 2020, the Airport, West End and Little Cayman Post Offices will continue to open 9am to 1pm on Wednesday and Thursday, based on surname segregation. These are the same hours as last week. Additionally, other offices will be open for the collection of general delivery mail only (see list below); customers collecting their general delivery mail will be required to show their ID. At small district post offices, only one customer at a time will be allowed inside to collect general delivery mail.

Registered mail without fees due at collection will be delivered to post office boxes starting on 6 May 2020. The standard practice of face-to-face delivery of registered mail is being suspended at this time to keep customer contact minimal.

Social distancing protocols must continue to be observed by customers and staff alike while at a post office.

As the Cayman Islands transition to lower COVID-19 suppression levels, the CIPS will increase the number of offices open and services offered with the aim of returning to full operations when the Cayman Islands are at Level 1 – All Clear.

Our commitment to protecting vulnerable staff is part of our commitment to protecting our communities. The Postmaster General apologies for any inconvenience caused to customers during this time of transition back to the new normal operations.