The volume of parcel deliveries has increased 20 percent this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Transport Ministry data obtained by ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Jun-hyeon, two-point-16 billion parcels were delivered from January to August this year, up 20 percent from the same period last year.

The volume jumped 36 percent on-year for the month of June as more people used delivery services following the outbreak of new COVID-19 clusters in May. 

Average deliveries handled by a single courier stand at over 51-hundred per month or about 255 a day this year.

Kang said delivery workers are struggling with a heavy workload as the number of parcel deliveries surged due to social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He called on the ministry and the parcel delivery sector to swiftly come up with measures to protect workers.