'Last-mile' delivery made easier with technology, company support

An official from the State Post Bureau said companies and their techniques have helped with the last-mile delivery problem during the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai.

Bian Zuodong, deputy head of the bureau's market supervision department, said at a news conference on Tuesday the bureau has guided transportation and distribution of emergency materials and daily necessities according to the needs of local governments.

In Shanghai, postal and delivery companies are making great efforts to guarantee the flow of supplies, he said.

Since this year's COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, an average of more than 3,000 people from such companies have delivered more than 6,000 metric tons of materials.

The companies also use new technologies to deliver supplies, including unmanned courier vehicles that can distribute goods without contact in locked-down areas, highly reducing the risk of epidemic spread.