Vessel crews in danger, says ISSA
Crewmembers of vessels could be the ones to suffer as ships find themselves unable to take on essential medical supplies and provisions as the extent of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic takes hold around the world, according to the International Shipsuppliers & Services Association (ISSA).
Ships cannot operate without the supplies and provisions they need, but the decision by some ports to refuse certain vessels entry because of previous port calls in coronavirus-affected areas has meant that some are forced to sail off without taking on the vital supplies they may need. This can mean that seafarers may be left without vital medicines and provisions as well as important spare parts.
Saeed Al Malik, president of ISSA, said the association had already issued guidance to its 1,600 members worldwide on how to keep safe when delivering supplies to vessels at port, but he acknowledged that the task facing suppliers was getting tougher because of the restrictions ports were placing on ships visiting their terminals. (mw)