Government trading enterprise Southern Ports Authority has introduced strict new measures for cargo ships, cruise ships, passengers, crew and staff amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The deadly respiratory illness, which is believed to have originated from the city of Wuhan in mainland China, has claimed more than 8,000 lives since it was first reported in December 2019.
Based on advice from the federal government, Southern Ports chief executive officer Steve Lewis said the authority continued to take the outbreak of coronavirus seriously and has implemented a range of strict protocols to ensure the health and safety of their workforce and port communities.
"Since the outbreak of COVID-10, we have operated under the advice of the Australian Border Force and both the State and Federal Departments of Health," he said.
"We are confident the robust measures in place are minimising the potential spread of COVID-19."
Since the outbreak began, residents have told the Mail they are concerned about the potential spread of the virus through shipping movements at local ports.
It is understood the new measures include a fortnight of forced self-isolation for those arriving in Australia from overseas, including those arriving via cargo vessels.
International cruise ships have also been banned from docking in Australia for at least 30 days, with a number of major cruise lines having already commenced self-imposed freezes on operations.
Mr Lewis said a significant number of cruise ships scheduled to visit the authority's ports had already cancelled their visits due to this freeze and confirmed that all cruise ship visits scheduled for the rest of March had been cancelled.
The Australian Border Force is currently managing the entry of ships and ship crews into Australian ports and has set out national protocols, in conjunction with the Department of Health, for managing the screening of crews on arriving foreign vessels.
For more information, visit southernports.com.au
