According to all that is known so far, there is no increased health risk associated with signing on the handheld scanner. Based on current knowledge, transmission of the coronavirus through contact with parcel surfaces is extremely unlikely.

However, as a precautionary measure, personal confirmation of receipt by signature at the private front door is suspended for the time being. In addition, for the moment small, flat parcels of a suitable size can be put in the consignee\'s letterbox.

In order to avoid direct contact as a precautionary measure, you as the consignee of the parcel can also help us in a very concrete way:

Provide us with a deposit okay, so that the delivery driver can leave the parcel without direct customer contact, for example in the garden shed, in the garage or in front of the apartment door. Observe the hygiene regulations and avoid any physical contact. This rule is also followed by our delivery personnel.

Please check, especially in the case of commercial delivery addresses, whether parcel delivery to the addressee is actually possible.

You will find more detailed information on the regulations in other European countries below.

Parcel deliveries and collections in Germany are being implemented as normal, as long as this is not restricted by the local authorities.

At the present time there are no delays in parcel shipping with DPD. However, if the current parcel volumes continue to increase as people switch more and more from bricks and mortar shopping to online retailing, regional bottlenecks cannot be ruled out. Many of our 7,000 Pickup parcelshops in Germany are integrated into normal shops and will be affected by a temporary closure due to the nationwide lockdown.

In the case of international shipments, in some areas the delivery or collection of express parcels is not possible due to official regulations.

A list of detailed postcode areas can be found here for DPD EXPRESS.

You will find more detailed information on individual regions with existing restrictions below.

The DPD crisis team reassesses the current situation on a daily basis and uses this information as the basis for targeted measures. DPD is also well prepared for the impending lockdown. Open and transparent communication is very important to us. That is why we keep our shippers and parcel consignees informed about current effects on parcel shipping via a variety of channels. You can find all the important information at dpd.de/coronavirus. If individual Pickup parcelshops are temporarily closed due to the lockdown, we take this into account in our Pickup Parcelshop Finder, in the DPD App and on our website. We are continuing to do everything in our power to ensure the delivery of essential supplies to the population. We will continue to fulfil this task even in the event of a "hard lockdown".

Many of our 7,000 Pickup parcelshops in Germany are integrated into normal shops and will be affected by a temporary closure due to the nationwide lockdown. However, around 60% of all DPD parcel shops will remain open. In such cases we take this into account in our Pickup Parcelshop Finder at https://www.dpd.com/de/de/pickup-paketshops/paketshop-finden/ and in the DPD App.

DPD is raising awareness among its staff, and especially among all delivery personnel, of appropriate hygiene measures. In addition, masks are mandatory at all locations, and strict distance and hygiene rules apply in all areas of the company premises. All locations are equipped with protective equipment and disinfectants in large quantities. When entering a DPD site, all workers are checked with fever monitors for a possible elevated body temperature in order to detect possible cases of COVID-19 even faster. Updated pandemic plans exist for all locations in order to maintain our service in the event of a further spread of the corona virus.

Depending on the development of the infection and the applicable lockdown measures, DPD will exclude individual delivery options. This will enable us to prevent the virus from spreading and to react to any business closures.

In principle DPD continues to carry out parcel shipments to all European countries. Conversely, parcels from abroad continue to be delivered in Germany.

In some areas delivery or collection of parcels is not possible or only possible to a limited extent due to official instructions.

A list of detailed postcode areas can be found here for DPD EXPRESS. For DPD Classic there are currently no exclusion zones.

Due to the current increase in the number of infections, it is possible in individual cases that traders may have to temporarily cease business activities and may not be able to receive parcels. So please check in advance whether parcel delivery to the addressee is actually possible.

This can be the case in the following countries

• Austria (for more information on the delivery situation in Austria)

• Italy (for more information on the delivery situation in Italy)

• France (for more information on the delivery situation in France)

• Switzerland

• Spain (for more information on the delivery situation in Spain)

• Great Britain (for more information on the delivery in Great Britain)

The delivery structure in Austria continues to be unrestricted. However, stricter official measures will apply in Austria from 17 to probably 26 November. This will be accompanied by an increase in business closures.

The business closures can also affect Pickup parcelshops.

As a result, it is possible that parcels may not be accepted or it may be more difficult to deliver them to some addresses. A shortened period for clarifying the situation currently applies to parcels which can't be delivered. Find out more: https://www.dpd.com/at/de/support/kontakt/coronavirus/ 

Due to an increasing number of cases of infection, Italy is again applying stricter Covid-19 measures. In large parts of the country there is a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., in some regions even for the whole day. Theatres, cinemas, sports centres and museums are closed throughout the country, and in many regions restaurants and bars are also temporarily closed. Industrial facilities, grocery shops, pharmacies, hairdressers and laundries remain open.

We are continuing to ship goods to and from France.

Since 30 October all non-essential shops in France have been closed, so that not all parcel shops are available.

We are continuing to ship goods to and from Spain.

Restaurants and cafés have been closed in some regions of Spain due to high levels of infection. However, all shops are open, so there are no restrictions on the parcel shop network.