KOTA KINABALU – Local shippers have called for the government to prioritise vaccinations for their group as they fear possible infections following a Covid-19 outbreak in Southern China, which may trigger a global shortage of goods.
Esther Wong, representing local shipping company Pacific Selatan Sdn Bhd here, told The Vibes that the majority of those involved in the shipping industry have yet to be vaccinated.
“The delay in vaccination slows down operations and workflow at the country gateways.
“Logistics are not a task that can be isolated and made to work from home.
The shipping industry, unlike other industries, requires people to be literally on the ground to handle the shipments and make sure everything runs smoothly.
“This includes physically getting all the documentations done from various offices,” she said.
Meanwhile, Wong said the majority of exports from South China involve dry goods, with Sabah directly affected as the port here has direct shipment calls from one of the affected ports in China, namely Hong Kong’s Shekou port.
“Our workers had to go onboard, and they are not vaccinated. They were also not given any deadline during the onboard call,” she said, adding that port workers in Johor Baru’s Tg Pelepas port have already been vaccinated.
On the possibility of unsanitised consignments, she said: “We just have to take the risk and hope that the items are not tainted with the Covid-19 virus.”
Wong said the shipment of goods into shipping containers is not done physically, therefore exposure to the virus could possibly come from the content inside the goods, instead.
Waiting for Phase 4
A memorandum sighted by The Vibes has been sent to National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin from the local association of shippers requesting for its members to be prioritised in the national vaccination programme.
The shipping sector involves several thousand workers, with Port Klang alone having 23,800 workers.
A written response from Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong dated June 9 noted that the vaccination of workers in the logistic sectors will be done as soon as possible, with the full list of eligible recipients having already been submitted to the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF).
He had also stated that 1,725 from 9,340 personnel in airport operations under Malaysia Airlines Holding Bhd and its subsidiaries have been vaccinated.
A Sabah government source told The Vibes the vaccination programme for those in the logistics and aviation sectors, as well as land transporters, will only commence in Phase 4 of the national vaccination programme, alongside other industries.
The country is still undergoing Phase 2 of the plan, which aims to vaccinate senior citizens above the age of 60.
In announcing the implementation of Phase 4, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor said the inoculation will be held at the Sabah International Convention Centre, under PICK.
Fear among aviation workers, too
Another shipping personnel, who wished to remain anonymous, said aviation workers – especially those involving transport and shipping – should be prioritised as frontliners.
“We are the ones who actually go out to work despite the pandemic.
“The reason for us among others to be included as frontliners, including those in the aviation industry, is because we are touching all the cargo from overseas,” said the personnel, adding that some consignments are not sanitised when they arrive in the country.
The reason, he said, is due to some consignments that include fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
As such, the personnel said shipping operations have become troublesome and costly as a result.
The industry standard operating procedures provide for workers to take swab tests every two weeks with the health authorities only accepting PCR-RT test results, which cost around RM200 to RM300 per test. This is not easy as the workers would also need to stay at home for three days before they can come back to work
He also pointed to a recent incident at a port here where one of the shipping pilots was infected, forcing the rest of the pilot team to be quarantined for up to three days before they were allowed to return to work.
A pilot is a shipping personnel who steers the vessel into the port.
“The ships would not be able to enter the port without the pilot’s clearance.
“Despite having explained this to Wee, it seems the importance of getting port workers vaccinated first does not arise yet,” he added.
China reported 21 new cases yesterday in the industrial province of Guangdong, while Chinese authorities have barred vessels from entering ports in Yantian, Shekou, Chiwan and Nansha without prior reservation.
Shipping giant Maersk has reportedly described the congestion and delays at the Yantian Port in South China as a bigger disruption than the grounding of the ship Ever Given, which blocked the Suez Canal for six days back in March.
The Yantian International Container Terminal has experienced a significant disruption due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the port area, forcing the port to currently operate at 40% capacity, affecting nearby ports. – The Vibes, June 18, 2021
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