Governments should prioritize seafarer vaccinations against Covid-19 to help keep
global supply chains operating smoothly, according to the International Chamber of
Shipping.
New variants of Covid-19 in Brazil, South Africa and the U.K. have contributed to more
stringent port and travel restrictions, limiting the ability of shipowners to repatriate
hundreds of thousands of seafarers still stuck working on vessels past their contracts,
according to the ICS, a trade association that represents more than 80% of the world’s
merchant fleet.
“Vaccinated seafarers are critical in keeping nations supplied with vital goods,” the
London-based ICS said in the statement Tuesday. “Increasingly in 2021, this will
include medical supplies such as syringes and the personal protective equipment
required as part of the roll out of Covid-19 vaccines.”
Ship crews are often comprised of seafarers from many different countries, making
vaccinating by nationality a challenge, according to the ICS, which recommends
mariners are given clear “vaccine passport” protocols in line with World Health
Organization recommendations.
© 2021. Bloomberg L.P.
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