Seafarers are the most seriously impacted by this pandemic, with the crew change crisis continuing and hundreds of thousands of seafarers remaining stuck at sea. Thus, a British free-to-air TV channel published a video of the current situation seafarers are experiencing.
In many cases, some crews have been unable to get ashore for more than a year because of the coronavirus, as not every country recognizes seafarers as key workers.
ITV’s reporter, Richard Jones, presents Mark, an officer on board cargo ships, who was six weeks late getting home, with the latter commenting that remaining onboard for a long time is s physically exhausting.
To assist seafarers in need, it is reported that the Southampton-based Sailors Society has been collecting books, toiletries, parcels and even Christmas presents for crews at the city’s port. Seafarers are allowed to come ashore in the UK, as they’re classed as key workers, but many captains aren’t letting their crews leave ship to keep them safe.
The Sailor Society’s Chief Executive, Sara Baade, commented that
They can’t fly home because they are stuck where they are because there are no flights or there are border controls or port restrictions. Some are forced to sign another contract and some have been away for 16 or 17 months.
Concerning the UK, it was informed that according to the information sheet, exemption for non-UK resident freight drivers is removed, so those who have travelled from or through Denmark in the last 14 days, can no longer enter UK.
