Representatives from Laurel Lake Retirement Community said Friday that a mail carrier refused to take his temperature before delivering mail there to help prevent residents from contracting coronavirus.
The carrier reportedly cited federal law as the reason.
“He was cooperating earlier, but Thursday he said he wasn’t allowed to do that, which didn’t make sense to us due to the state of the circumstances we are in,” Laurel Lake CEO David Oster said.
Naddia Dhalai, spokeswoman for the Northern Ohio District and Ohio Valley District for the U.S. Postal Service, said that “the safety and health of our employees and customers is our top priority.”
Oster said that the carrier claimed submitting to the screening would be an illegal slowing or impediment of delivery. Oster said he was told the same thing from the postmaster at the Hudson post office, but the Kent post office informed him the issue was up to the carrier’s discretion.