Delivery services resume gradually in Shanghai

Express delivery services in Shanghai gradually resumed as the city is seeing significant drops in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with 20 logistics companies starting operations, news portal The Paper reported.

"I've received two packages, which I ordered in late March and early April," said Ms Wang, a resident of Yangpu district.

On Sunday, the Shanghai Municipal Postal Administration released the first batch of companies on the "white list" designated to resume operations, including China Post, SF Express, ZTO Express, STO Express, DHL, FedEx and 20 others.

Insiders from the express industry told The Paper that the distribution centers of express companies named on the "white list" are allowed to operate, while the government is still very cautious about the resumption of terminal delivery stations.

J&T Express, for example, has re-opened over 20 percent of its package-pickup stations, and about 30 percent of delivery stations.

An employee from J&T said the company is busy delivering the packages that were on hold due to the pandemic lockdown.

To support the work resumption of key industries, delivery priority is mainly focused on import goods in motor, semiconductor, micro-electronics and finance, said an employee from DHL Express.

Apart from logistics enterprises, e-commerce platforms also accelerated the resumption of off-line deliveries.

"Over 80 percent of delivery stations have started operations," said an employee from Cainiao - the logistics arm of Alibaba Group. The company also added 500 delivery people in Shanghai to meet the surging demand.

According to The Paper, the delivery services of Tmall and Cainiao Network have covered more than 500 neighborhoods in Shanghai.

For another e-commerce platform, Suning Yigou, the delivery volume at its logistics basement in Fengxian district rose eight times week-on-week.

"There are nearly 1,000 workers on duty at the center, with packages delivered 24 hours," said an employee from Suning.