ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The postal service says it’s seeing a number of issues as we approach the Christmas holiday this week.

Spectrum News has gotten complaints and seen countless comments online from people in the Rochester area worried about delays with their packages arriving. All of this happening just days before Christmas, as many people are sending gifts through the mail this year, instead of gathering in person.

On the complaints, a postal service representative for Western New York said, in part, "While every year the postal service carefully plans for peak holiday season, a historic record of holiday volume compounded by a temporary employee shortage due to the COVID-19 surge, and capacity challenges with airlifts and trucking for moving this historic volume of mail are leading to temporary delays."

The postal service says to help fix the issues, it is hiring seasonal employees and moving employees to facilities needed additional support.

The National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 210 tells Spectrum News that the delays are not coming from their end, and they’re delivering everything they receive, even on Sundays, and plan to deliver packages on Christmas Day.

Branch 210 President Kenny Montgomery said his members are tired from long hours, but all have what it takes to make it through. He says the issues are coming from the mail processing plants, which are overseen by a different union.

Spectrum News also reached out to the American Postal Workers Union Local 215, but have not received a response.

In our correspondence with the postal service, the rep told us that the postal service is committed to making sure gifts and cards are delivered on time to celebrate the holidays.