Maritime Bulletin reports that the ships are stuck in seas and ports as virus prevention is becoming a threat.
Westerdam stuck on high seas
One more cruise ship, WESTERDAM (IMO 9226891, Holland America), got stuck on high seas, after she was banned from her scheduled Manila visit.
There are no ill persons on board, no symptoms of any disease, the ship is immobilized by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte decision to temporarily ban travellers from China, Hong Kong and Macau from disembarking in the country.
WESTERDAM last port of call was Hong Kong, hence the ban. The ship is scheduled to visit Kaohsiung Taiwan, on Feb 5, so she has to hang around in South China sea, waiting out schedule gap, with more than 2000 tourists on board.
Situation in Greece
In Greece meanwhile, container ship on arrival from China couldn’t berth as scheduled, because first) medics rejected to board her for crew screening, and second) tugs refused to take her to Piraeus.
The ship was finally, berthed, but with a delay and a lot of headaches for all concerned.
Quarantine in America and Europe
In Americas and Europe, there are growing public and authorities concerns, and growing demand of most strict screening treatment of all ships arriving from Asia.
Not just from China, but ships arriving from all Asian ports, should be subject to immediate quarantine, or even ban, whether there are ill seamen with suspicious symptoms on board, or not.
Combating coronavirus, by and by, is becoming more and more scary process in itself, without virus. Maybe more scary, than virus outbreak itself. Lives, careers and businesses, may be ruined by just that, by quarantine seclusion.
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Source: Maritime Bulletin
