Ports Australia urges the government to begin engaging with the shipping industry and planning measures to manage the pandemic situation while possibilities for state lockdowns are being increased.
After several employees at DP World’s and Hutchison Ports’ Port Botany terminals and Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) have been tested positive to Covid-19 and other Australian seafarers are quarantined, staff of the aforementioned terminals is working closely with New South Wales (NSW) Victorian Departments of Health to identify close contacts in order to ensure the health and safety of employees and the community.
Despite the impact on the Australian port’s workforce, the operations will continue “in order to minimise disruption to the function of loading and discharging containers,” after closing terminals for a short period for cleaning, according to Ports Australia’s statement.
Ports Australia believes the Federal Government should begin coordinating state and territory governments to carry out practices with industry within their jurisdictions.
Ports Australia’s CEO, Mike Gallacher, stated that “If this instance of Covid-19 invading a workforce has occurred while Sydney and Melbourne are still under hard lockdown, one can only imagine the likelihood of such instances once we begin living with the virus and our supply chain workers are exposed by the community whether vaccinated or not.”
“We’re fortunate to have avoided major disruptions to the supply chain after these instances due to the relatively low number of workers deemed close or casual contacts, but we may not be so lucky in times to come,” added the CEO, and went on to conclude that the community “cannot have outbreaks like these standing down masses of wharfies, truckies, rail operators or any critical worker in between.”
