SingPost will operate 24 of its 56 post offices from today to May 5 to minimise the number of employees working on-site, in line with the "circuit breaker" measures imposed by the Government to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

All services, including postal services, bill payments, banking and government services, will continue to be offered at the 24 post offices, SingPost said in a statement yesterday.

All self-service options, including POPStations and SAM machines, will also continue to operate, and customers are encouraged to use these options as far as possible.

Mail delivery will proceed normally across the country, although there may be some delays. Small items, including tracked ones, will be put into a letterbox if it fits to minimise contact, SingPost added.

If the item is too large, SingPost will deliver it to the customer's door, with minimum contact with the recipient.

Additionally, businesses that are open during this period will continue to receive their mail normally, SingPost said.

If the business is closed, all mail, including tracked items, will be sent to its letterbox. SingPost advised businesses to clear their mailboxes regularly so that more mail can be delivered.

Should the letterbox be full, a note will be left to notify recipients. SingPost will hold the mail for five days and attempt to deliver it again after that.

SingPost has also advised customers to clear their letterboxes regularly and indicate a contact number and return address when sending mail. For customers who have ordered items from online retailers, they are reminded to update their delivery addresses if necessary.

For customers who had a registered service item or large package that needed to be collected from the post office, they should have done so by yesterday, SingPost added.

At least eight people were infected with the coronavirus at the packet-processing facility at SingPost Centre in Eunos last month, part of a cluster there.

Tighter restrictions will take effect from today to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus. All schools and most workplaces will be closed, and only businesses in essential services will remain open.

Social interactions, too, will be limited. Among other things, people will no longer be allowed to dine in and will have to take away their food.

These restrictions, which are expected to last till May 4, may be extended if needed.