Assemblyman, Jeffrey Dinowitz said he received more than one hundred complaints last week alone (excluding those received on social media) about mail that had not been delivered – including mail that contained paychecks, insurance reimbursements, unemployment debit cards, medications, and other essential items.

Dinowitz announced on April 4, “United States Postal Service appears to have heard our frustration and have deployed additional carriers this weekend to address the package backlog at Kingsbridge Station”. He added, “I am hopeful that this big push will clear up the whole pipeline and allow the post office to resume reliable mail service in our community during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Agreed. The lack of transparency and candidness makes it so much more difficult for people to deal with irregular mail delivery. @USPSHelp https://t.co/9y3cfOTm0a

— Jeffrey Dinowitz (@JeffreyDinowitz) April 3, 2020

The assemblyman went on to state that his office was still waiting to hear about a master plan from USPS about how they will protect the health and safety of postal workers so that reliable mail service can continue operating, but he praised the service for the latest “wonderful” efforts in addressing the current backlog. “I hope that such a master plan addresses how frequently mail can be delivered and picked up, clarifies whether people should go to the post office to pick up mail or packages, and the status of satellite post offices (such as on Kappock Street and West 238th Street),” he said.

Dinowitz vowed to give credit to the current White House administration if they deserved it, and confirmed that his office had contacted the White House Department of Intergovernmental Affairs earlier this week, and that they had responded quickly and appear to have been effective. “I believe their involvement in this issue was very helpful in getting a response from USPS,” he said. “Thank you as well to my Northwest Bronx elected colleagues with whom I have been working together very diligently to get answers from USPS.”

TY for tweeting that. @PauletteGirar13 2 day priority box w/hearing aids from California – my father in law passed – they were sent bc there is a need – last scanned in at the NY regional facility. I was told after filing a claim (escalated) it was lost forever. #ThinAir #Poof https://t.co/HNMPyhOgdX

— Liane Curtis (@Liane_Curtis) April 1, 2020

However, it seems that the underlying problems giving rise to the backlog have not gone away. “Postal workers are on the frontlines of this pandemic, and they are getting sick (or are afraid of getting sick) just like all of us,” he added. “If you see a postal worker, please share your gratitude for their work to keep our mail moving during the pandemic and please be patient and kind with them, just as you would like them to be patient and kind to you.”