Tag: COVID-19

The United States Coast Guard issued another update concerning its COVID-19 statement on March 16, adding more countries to the US' restrictions, following WHO's statement that the EU and the US are now the epicentre of the pandemic.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the crewmember onboard MV Corona, which was suspected of having the coronavirus, was eventually tested negative. At the same time, AIDAmira cruise ship which was also quarantined at the Port of Cape Town in South Africa, amid COVID-19 suspicion, found to be uninfected.

Chinese shipbuilding group Yangzijiang has secured a contract to build up to 10 vessels worth a total of USD 1.15 billion for Hong Kong-based container shipping firm Tiger Group.

In the latest of several measures taken to contain the impacts of COVID-19, UK-based Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) gave the opportunity to Australian passengers onboard the cruise ship Columbus to be transferred to sister ship Vasco Da Gama which will head to Fremantle. 

BIMCO is updating its 2020 forecast given the severe consequences COVID-19 has on the shipping industry, commenting that this crisis has exposed several unwanted vulnerabilities to supply chains as we know them today.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions that has brought, the Greek government announced that will put everyone arriving from abroad into a 14-day quarantine, in an effort against the disease.

As a result of the EU being the epicentre of COVID-19, several shipping companies are suspending operations, followed by the many restrictions issued about closed borders and ports; Therefore, Germany's Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) suspends all operations.

As a response to the global COVID-19 outbreak, Norwegian expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten announced it will voluntarily stop operations from pole to pole until the end of April.

Maritime officials in Queensland, Australia have ordered all foreign trading ships to essentially self-quarantine before entering their ports due to the COVID-19 crisis. Vessels are advised to contact port authorities if crew member or passenger is showing any coronavirus symptoms that include fever, flu-like symptoms cough, sore throat, headache or difficulty breathing. 

The COVID-19 crisis which has been the epicentre of the EU is leading to shipping container shortages and goods, which is expected to worsen as China imposes more restrictions concerning incoming vessels, to boost its coronavirus safety measures.