The White House has authorized $175 million for the USPS to purchase masks and gloves for postal employees and sanitizing equipment for processing mail. The USPS consulted with the Department of Defense in purchasing the sanitizing equipment, which will be used in targeted areas to kill any biological agents inside or outside mail items. This equipment was selected because the technology can be built directly into the postal sorting process and because it is completely safe for both customers and employees. For security reasons, further details about the equipment will not be provided.

The USPS has purchased 4 million N95 face masks and shipped 2 million of them Tuesday, Oct. 23 to 140 locations, starting on the East Coast. These masks are able to filter out 95 percent of all microbes in the air, including anthrax spores. Use of these masks is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.

The USPS has purchased 86 million pairs of gloves made of vinyl and Nitrile, a high-grade industrial plastic, to supply 3 pairs per employee per day throughout the nation. Forty-four million pairs have been shipped. Use of these gloves is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.

The Postal Service has switched the methods used to clean mail-processing equipment from a forced-air system to a vacuuming system. Training is under way.

The USPS is setting up a phone number in each postal district for information. The numbers will be posted online as soon as they are available.

The USPS will broadcast for employees a prevention video featuring union leaders on USPS-TV. Asking employees to update all personal information (right phone #'s etc).

Any employee going to visit a hospital or physician should notify the physician immediately that they are a postal employee.

A 24-hour information line is available for employees to call to keep USPS informed of their status. That toll-free number is 1-866-545-8777.

The Postal Service is strongly recommending both gloves and thorough hand washing for employees who process mail.

The Postal Service has switched to antibacterial cleaning solutions.

They are sending a postcard to all employees explaining how to safely handle mail.

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