Letter carriers across New York City are working tirelessly to bring us our mail each and every day, but as the pandemic continues, doing so is becoming harder and harder.

Similar to doctors, nurses and first responders, the Post Office is essential.

"What I feel and what I see is that letter carriers don't get enough credit for what they're doing on a day-to-day basis,” says John A. Cruz, N.A.L.C Branch 41 President.

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Just like everyone across our city, letter carriers are fighting to survive this pandemic too.

"The carriers are, for the first time in their lives, they're really scared,” says Cruz.

The stakes are high, touching thousands of objects a day and sometimes without the proper resources like masks and hand sanitizer, News 12 is told.

Sources say at least a dozen letter carriers citywide have gotten sick.

One mail carrier in the Bronx died from coronavirus complications.

"We have some letter carriers working 12-hour days still,” says Cruz.

At the federal level, New York Representative Carolyn Maloney co-wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a grave warning that the post office quote "will not survive the summer without immediate assistance."

"It might take a little longer for the mail to get to where it needs to get to because of the simple reason … of the less employees,” says Cruz.

The World Health Organization maintains that the risk of catching the virus from a package is low, but that doesn't relive the concerns of those who actually have to deliver the mail.

"There's a lot of neighborhoods that are not complying with the pause,” says Cruz.

All this as the USPS says it's keeping its worker's safety a top priority, encouraging hand washing and modifying signature procedures.

Meanwhile, News 12 is told the best thing we can do for our letter carriers at home is to make sure we’re inside when the mail gets delivered and only pick it up after our carrier is at least six feet away.

"These carriers they go to work, but at the end of the day they go home to a family. And they don't want to take this home to their family,” says Cruz.