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US Postal Service to slow down nearly a third of first-class package deliveries

Posted at 4:37 PM, Apr 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-21 05:45:12-04

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — If you're one of the countless Southwest Floridians who uses the post office, you might see delays in your first-class package deliveries starting in less than two weeks.

It's part of a ten-year plan that was announced by the Postmaster last year.

It's meant to reverse billions of dollars in losses and introduces a number of new delivery standards that are set to take effect May 1st.

Among them includes slowing down delivery speeds for nearly a third of first-class packages, plus removing an extra day for priority mail transported on the ground.

It also could lead to longer waiting times for first class mail delivery, higher postage prices and reduced service hours.

“That would be a very bad idea. Especially when you need something and you need it for some reason, so you cannot get it. That would make you irritated, of course," says Gerald Jacotin, a visitor to a Post Office location in Fort Myers on Wednesday.

“I rely a lot on packages coming in the mail. So it not coming in the mail kind of affects me. I’m a teacher, so a lot of those things have to come in a certain amount of time for me to be able to use them in my classroom,” says Lisa Clarke, a drama teacher who uses the Post Office regularly.