USPS Defies Orders To Close Denver Sorting Facility That Handles Mail For All Of Colorado

DENVER (CBS4/AP) – A U.S. Postal Service facility in Denver is defying orders to shut down after the city and county health department reported multiple COVID-19 cases among employees. The massive sorting facility at 53rd and Quebec Street handles mail for all of Colorado and Wyoming.

The 840,000-square-foot mail facility, the fourth largest in the United States, has about 2,000 workers.

Officials with the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) said they issued the closure order as a last resort — because USPS officials are not cooperating with their investigation.

“…the USPS not only failed to provide the necessary information, but they have not allowed inspections to support complete outbreak investigations,” DDPHE officials stated.

USPS spokesman David Rupert said there is no current outbreak there and the last time a worker there was confirmed to have COVID-19 was May 2.

USPS officials also argue the facility provides an essential service.

“The Postal Service is an entity of the Federal Government, and the provision of postal services to the American people is designated as an essential function under federal law during times of emergency,” USPS officials stated.

“This closure… has the potential to impact stimulus checks, prescription medications, personal correspondence, and vital goods delivered to the more than 6.5 million customers who live in Colorado and Wyoming.”