Times News readers fear not: Newspapers carry no real risk of catching the COVID-19 virus and remain safe to handle.

The World Health Organization has stated on its website, https://www.who.int, that the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, and the risk of contracting the virus through receipt of a newspaper is infinitely small.

The Times News Media Group is doing its best to take care of its carriers to keep them and the newspaper safe, according to circulation director Janie Yacubeck.

“We have employee drivers, and they’re given all the supplies necessary to be safe: gloves, hand sanitizers, masks and all that stuff that the CDC is telling us to do,” Yacubeck said. “We sent out a note to our carriers, because obviously they remain an important source for us at this time; they’re going above and beyond to do their part to get the papers out to the people. We sent them out a letter today (Monday) telling them to follow the guidelines of the CDC.

“Without them, we couldn’t get the paper out. Newspapers at this time remain an important, powerful source of information.”

Yacubeck stressed that the safety of everyone is of the utmost importance.

“We want our carriers and delivery drivers to stay safe and healthy,” she said. “That’s why we’re asking them to follow the guidelines, and we’re reminding them of the guidelines again.

The World Health Organization has stressed that “the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, traveled and exposed to different conditions and temperature is low.”

In an interview with BBC Radio Scotland, John Innes Centre virologist George Lomonossoff, who uses molecular biology to understand the assembly and properties of viruses in the United Kingdom, said, “Newspapers are pretty sterile because of the way they are printed and the process they’ve been through (to be produced).”

In other countries with high levels of coronavirus outbreaks, newspapers remain a part of daily life. Even in the worst-hit areas of the world, including Italy and China, newspapers have continued to publish in order to maintain this public service. In India the government has ordered a lockdown but urged publishers to continue printing and distributing newspapers.

The U.K. government has committed to allowing news media providers to stay open within new lockdown legislation and confirmed journalists as recognized key workers.