In the current unprecedented times of a global threat posed by a coronavirus pandemic that has triggered dire consequences for whole societies and nations, the maritime industry is playing an essential role in the response. Around 80% of global trade is transported by commercial shipping. This includes currently most-needed items such as vital medical supplies and equipment, as well as food, energy, raw materials and manufactured goods and components. These are essential for addressing people’s basic needs and for preserving many jobs in manufacturing, maintaining international trade and, in the end, sustaining the global economy.

In view of this, it is important to keep supply chains open and to allow maritime trade to continue. This requires that the world’s ports remain open for ship calls and that ship crews’ changeover is allowed. Further, in these challenging times, some additional measures should be undertaken to protect the staff working in port communities and to ensure continuity of ports’ operations.

Based on several documents received from ports that are part of the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Network, the following measures have been implemented/observed and could serve as generic guidelines:

• Constantly promote and enforce preventive hygiene measures (handwashing)
• Limit physical interaction between onboard and onshore staff. Ship crew should communicate with quayside staff by radio or telephone
• Respect physical distancing rules – stay 2 metres apart
• Increase the use of digital documentation to limit human contact to the minimum
• Provide adequate and sufficient protective equipment to the staff (face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, glasses)
• Augment the sanitation of surfaces that come in contact with hands
• Establish a point of control in the perimeter of the port area to monitor temperature and related symptoms (automated temperature screening) and equip it with anti-bacterial solutions and sanitizers
• Establish a waste disposal policy for “suspicious” cases
• Fumigate and disinfect all passenger terminals/areas
• Disinfect and monitor cargo
• Have a passenger information system for easy contact tracing and an isolated holding and testing area for COVID-19 symptomatic port users
• Institute a protocol for disembarking passengers/crew requiring immediate medical care in coordination with the national health authority (1)
• Identify decontamination areas in the port buildings

(1) Under the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention of 2006, flag States must ensure that all seafarers on ships flying their flag are covered by adequate measures for the protection of their health and that they have access to prompt and adequate medical care whilst working onboard. The Convention also requires port States to ensure that seafarers on board ships in their territory who are in need of immediate medical care are given access to medical facilities onshore.