City Celebrates Postal Workers with Blue Lanterns and a Blue City Hall

The City of West Hollywood is recognizing and celebrating the men and women in the US Postal Service who put themselves at risk delivering our packages and mail during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. In celebration of National Postal Worker Appreciation Day on July 1st, the lanterns located on Santa Monica Boulevard between N. Robertson Boulevard and Hancock Avenue, in the LGBT Rainbow district are glowing blue orbs this week to acknowledge men and women in light blue who deliver our mail. The West Hollywood City Hall Building located at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard is also glowing blue this week. In addition, The West Hollywood City Council presented a proclamation to West Hollywood postal workers on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 8:45 a.m. at the Cole Branch Post Office located at 1125 N. Fairfax Avenue. The presentation included West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath and council member John D’Amico as well as representatives from the United States Postal Service (USPS), along with local supervisors and employees.

Way before the coronavirus pandemic, postal workers have played a crucial role in the healthcare industry, managing 1.2-billion prescription drug deliveries each year, nearly four-million parcels each delivery day, along with millions of lab tests and essential medical supply shipments. The coronavirus pandemic has seen an increase in mailing ranging from online orders, care packages, protective equipment, wipes and disinfectants, grocery deliveries, and millions of prescriptions. In addition, the USPS is an essential factor in facilitating the national census and vote-by-mail efforts for primary and general elections, as well as distributing more than 100 million copies of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 guidelines, which offered information on protecting health.

The City of West Hollywood currently houses two Postal Service centers: 1) the West Hollywood Post Office located at 458 N. Doheny Drive, and 2) the Cole Branch Post Office located at 1125 N. Fairfax Avenue.

The United States Postal Service and the delivery of goods is one of the oldest and most vital parts of the nation’s infrastructure. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress created the United States Postal Service and appointed Benjamin Franklin its first Postmaster General. The Founders saw the postal service as a necessary vehicle for freedom of the press and valued the importance of a connected citizenry. Throughout its history, the USPS has delivered mail by ferryboats, float planes, pony express mule train, and many other forms of transportation. Nationwide, postal workers staff nearly 500 processing and distribution centers and 32,000 post offices and handle more than 145 billion pieces of mail each year — nearly half of all the mail in the entire world. Postal workers comprise nearly a quarter of the entire Federal workforce, employing more than 600,000 workers nationwide. Approximately half of these 600,000 employees are people of color and more than 100,000 are veterans.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. While Los Angeles County is allowing for a phased reopening of some businesses and activities, coronavirus transmission and COVID-19 disease remain a serious risk.

When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face to adhere to City requirements for the use of face coverings. Face coverings are not required for young children under two-years-old; children between two- and eight-years-old should only wear face coverings with adult supervision; and people with certain medical conditions are exempt from this requirement. Public Health officials recommend cloth face coverings so that medical-grade and N95 masks may be prioritized in the supply chain for healthcare workers and first responders.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings, playgrounds, and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

The City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications for up-to-date information regarding details in the City of West Hollywood.