PACKAGES ARRIVE LATE WITH COVID-19

Like a lot of people at the beginning of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Marsha Marcotte could not find any personal protective equipment, or PPE. It was particularly scarce in the rural El Dorado County community of Camino, where she lives.

Her daughter, who lives in Cupertino, however, was able to find some and mail it to her.

"She had to send to ground," Marcotte said, "because of the hand sanitizer has alcohol in it, it's flammable."

Cupertino is in the San Francisco/San Jose area, roughly two to three hours from Camino. Marcotte's daughter sent the package via U.S. Mail on June 16.

"It was we supposed to be here on the 19th, three days later," she said.

Instead, when Marcotte looked at the tracking information, the box of PPE traveled from Cupertino down to Los Angeles. From there, it went back north to San Francisco, and then it stopped.

"'In transit, running a little late,'" Marcotte said of the tracking status. "You know, in transit for delivery."

But by June 23, the tracking had stopped updating. By July 5, she sent a message to the U.S. Postal Service.