Coronavirus: should order dispatch stop if virus suspected?

[Katie_NSQ]

Hi all, I am new to this forum today so apologies if this is either posted in the wrong place or been asked already .... I run a small internet retail business posting around 120 orders a month. We are a home based family operation. If/when one of our household contracts the virus are we still safe to continue dispatching goods? Or do we cease trading for the 14 day government advised isolation period? I cant find any guidance on the web & wondered if anyone knows or can suggest where I might find an answer.
Many thanks & best wishes to all small business owners out there throughout all of this uncertainty.

 

[Mr D]

Good question. Do not think official guidelines have got that far.

 

[Alison Moore]

I'm sure I read that the virus can only survive for 72 hours on surfaces - so perhaps make sure that all your goods don't arrived any quicker than this after being packed?

 

[OMGVape]

How would you get stuff to the post office/courier if you are in isolation? If you can resolve that then keep going. I'm planning to keep going until our courier stops coming to us.

 

[Alison Moore]

I looked into it a little further as its an interesting topic.. I can't find any government guidelines, but it looks like there is no evidence of the virus being spread via packaging materials, although it can survive for some time on surfaces, however it depends on the type of surface and the temperature. So I guess there's no guidelines as there's no direct evidence of it being an issue. Of course, you might find that couriers don't want to collect from you if they know you're in self isolation.

 

[fisicx]

Wear disposable gloves while packing the products.

 

[Mr D]

How would you get stuff to the post office/courier if you are in isolation? If you can resolve that then keep going. I'm planning to keep going until our courier stops coming to us.

Drop goods off?

 

[Mr D]

Wear disposable gloves while packing the products.

And a mask. To prevent any water droplets from coughing or sneezing etc getting on the surfaces.

 

[OMGVape]

Drop goods off?

Too big.

 

[Mr D]

Too big.

Then have them collected.

 

[fisicx]

I cant find any guidance on the web & wondered if anyone knows or can suggest where I might find an answer.

This should give you some idea about how the virus survives on surfaces:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200317-covid-19-how-long-does-the-coronavirus-last-on-surfaces

 

[Katie_NSQ]

Thanks for your responses guys. Good luck to you & all your businesses throughout all of this.

 

[mtools]

I had a message from Royal Mail on the click and drop login to say they’d had guidance from Public Health England that there was no evidence that the virus could be passed on through post and that the lifetime of the virus was only a few hours on letters and parcels.

 

[Alpha Helica Peptides]

As you are an online retailer, you have don't need to follow the isolation period, because online business still working, but you have delivered the products safely. It does not spread the coronavirus. Good Luck! I hope it will help...