Bermuda Post Office staff have been praised for their hard work in the face of a global pandemic.

Wayne Furbert, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, said in a speech to mark World Post Day that the continued work of staff over the past eight months highlighted their commitment to the island.

Mr Furbert said: “This is an opportunity to recognise the contributions of our local post office employees who provide products and services at all of our postal locations around Bermuda.

“These contributions to our communities were even more apparent during Covid-19 when delivery post persons ensured continued delivery of essential mail such as pension, social insurance and unemployment relief cheques and the delivery of educational materials to schoolchildren during the shelter-in-place.”

He said that 23 years ago the BPO had launched a series of envelopes that highlighted the art of former staff member Andrew Furbert, and that the series would be relaunched in honour of World Post Day.

Mr Furbert added: “As a token of appreciation on World Post Day, the BPO will release, for one day only, the popular red Perot Stamp cancellation on the Perot Post Office envelopes.

“This will be of interest to collectors.”

He also unveiled a series of panels highlighting commemorative stamps released in August to mark the 400th anniversary of Parliament.

Mr Furbert said: “These stamps depict the entrance to the present St Peter’s Church built on that site, Sessions House on Parliament Hill and the Speaker of the House’s silver mace and wooden gavel, which was fashioned from the wood of a cedar tree.

“We are pleased to commemorate this moment of history with the commissioning of these latest stamp panels.”