Ten-year-old Myron sanitised a letter he typed out before posting it for his postwoman to find and keep as a sign of gratitude for delivering mail throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

“Without you we will not have someone to deliver our mail. I sanitized this letter so if you want you can take it home...” he wrote before typing out a full disclosure: “Hope you love it. This was part of my homework”.

This was among the letters that postal workers have been receiving from children who want to thank them for continuing their work during the pandemic.

When the first case of coronavirus was detected in Malta, in early March, the country went into gradual lockdown. Schools, the airport and non-essential shops shut down and people stayed home to avoid contracting and spreading the virus.

Things are now getting back to normal but, back then, many opted to work from the safety of their home. Others, however, continued working normally for the benefit of others. These people included healthcare frontliners, people working in grocery shops, those who delivered essentials and postal workers.

Over the months several children left letters to cheer on their postperson.

“Thank you for delivering our mail come rain or shine,” wrote eight-year-old Nina under a colourful drawing of a postwoman walking beneath a rainbow – the international symbol of hope used throughout the pandemic.

This child still remembered our job had to be done even during a pandemic

Beppe wrote: “Thank you for getting our letters every day during COVID-19,” while Hailey thanked them for the “amazing job”.

This meant a lot to these men and woman. Postman Dylan Busuttil, 24, has been delivering mail for five years. Doing so during the pandemic was very different to what he was used to. One morning as he went about delivering mail in Marsa a child walked out of his home and gave Dylan a letter.

“I found it very special because, in that period of time when the pandemic put us at risk, this child still remembered our job had to be done even during a pandemic. I appreciated this a lot,” he said.

During the pandemic, he said, postal workers had to be more careful – making sure they did not get too close to people to maintain social distancing and use sanitizer to disinfect their hands regularly.

“I had less contact with people – especially elderly people – because they had to stay inside since they were vulnerable. However, as things started settling, in recent days some people are back to waiting for me to have a chat,” he says.

Maltapost has appreciated receiving these letters so much that it launched a competition – calling on children to send in a picture of their favourite postperson by handing it to a postal worker or posting it in the nearest post box with their contact details. Those who already sent letters will automatically be included.

Three random winners will be picked and awarded a Peppi Pustier plush toy after being announced on Facebook on July 8.