Page 18: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2020)

Government Update © Anton Petrus/AdobeStock

The Challenges Ahead with

COVID-19 & Maritime he COVID-19 epidemic, which was ? rst International trade is slowing. Health measures in China called the novel Coronavirus and then are leading to decreases in manufacturing and power con- the 2019-nCoV, is spreading fast around sumption. As a result, raw materials for production and for the world. It is more contagious than the power generation (such as coal and LNG) is less necessary,

T 2002 SARS outbreak, its cousin, but not reducing imports. With manufacturing down, exports from as lethal. Unfortunately, its impact on the China are decreasing. It is currently impossible to forecast maritime community seems to already be how long this downturn will continue. greater than that of SARS. The major problem is our lack of knowledge about the vi-

Ships are being required to submit Maritime Declarations rus. There is currently no vaccine to prevent it and no medi- of Health prior to arrival. Ships that called in Chinese ports cine to cure it. Medical kits to diagnose the illness are in during the previous 14 days or have persons on board who short supply and don’t have a 100% success rate, as the out- have been to China during the previous 14 days are either break is so recent. Traditional care largely works, but there prevented from entering numerous ports or their activities in are exceptions, particularly among the young, elderly, and port are curtailed. Some ships with infected persons on board those with compromised immune systems. But COVID-19 is are being banned – one cruise ship was turned away by four capable of striking down perfectly healthy individuals also. different countries before ? nally ? nding refuge in Cambodia. Medical professionals estimate that an infected individual

Cruise ships have largely withdrawn from calling in many can no longer transmit the virus to another person 14 days

East Asian ports. Crew changes are impacted across the en- after contracting the condition, but this is not known for cer- tire maritime industry. tain. Medical professionals do not yet know whether a pre- 18 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • March 2020

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