Canada Post says it’s seeing parcel volumes only experienced during the busiest days of the Christmas season as Canadians continue to self-isolate at home due to COVID-19.

The crown corporation said Thursday a heavy influx of parcels combined with new safety steps implemented to prevent the spread of the virus are expected to cause delivery delays in its network.

Canada Post says it delivered 1.8 million parcels to Canadians last Monday, which is close to its biggest delivery days during the holiday season. This comes amid a spike in direct-to-consumer shipping, as the pandemic forces house-bound Canadians to do their shopping online.

Amazon.com Inc. and Shopify Inc. are some of the companies which have reported a surge in traffic during the pandemic.

Canada Post’s COVID-19 safety measures taken during the pandemic include physical distancing at its processing plants, which the company says its facilities were never designed to handle. 

Other steps it’s taken include a “knock, drop and go” policy during parcel delivery, eliminating the need for signatures at the door in order to reduce customer interactions. It’s also suspending its 15-day hold period at its post offices.