Another bumper New Year for parcels

With people encouraged to stay put and follow epidemic control protocols during the Spring Festival, parcels bringing holiday wishes to family and friends, traveling in place of their senders.

China's delivery sector handled 749 million parcels during the weeklong holiday, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent, the industry's regulator, the State Postal Bureau of China said on Monday.

It collected 420 million parcels and delivered some 329 million packages, over five and six time more respectively compared with the same period before the pandemic in 2019.

Since the novel coronavirus hit China in early 2020, sending parcels instead of delivering gifts in person has become a new trend for reducing physical contact.

Between Jan 17 and Sunday, 3.89 billion parcels were collected and delivered, a year-on-year increase of 34 percent.

According to the bureau, the sector saw strong growth in local specialties and festival-related products during the holiday. Online agricultural produce sales continued to develop rapidly, requiring the support of the rural logistics system.

Parcel delivery companies were encouraged to stay open during the holiday and the sector continued to carry out strict epidemic control protocols like implementing standard work procedures and disinfection.