North P&I Club launches digital tool to help shipping stay up to date with coronavirus outbreak

North P&I Club says it has launched a new digital tool that will help shipowners and operators track the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak. North P&I Club has developed its MyGlobeView platform – an interactive map which Members use to identify commercial risks and physical threats to shipping around the world – so that it now can provide live updates as to the number of confirmed cases of the virus, countries at risk and what to look out for.

The software, which sources its data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other leading sources, can assist ships with chartering, operations and help prepare staff for what to expect when arriving in port.

Simon MacLeod, North deputy director – loss prevention, said: “We are committed to ensuring that our ship owner members have easy access to up-to-date advice and guidance to operate safely. So, we take outbreaks like the Coronavirus very seriously and have acted quickly to release this latest update to our MyGlobeView platform.

“As well as receiving information from the WHO, John Hopkins University and other organisations tracking the virus, we also have a huge network of contacts in ports across the world, who are updating us with local information as the infection spreads. This means the software is as up to date and informative as possible.

The Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019, has so far seen more than 20,000 people infected across China, Europe, North America and the UK – including two confirmed cases in the North East. Over 400 people have died so far, all in China. The WHO has declared the crisis a global health emergency.

North P&I Club
North P&I Club is a leading global marine insurer providing P&I, FD&D, war risks and ancillary insurance to over 200 million GT of owned and chartered tonnage. Through its guaranteed subsidiary Sunderland Marine, North is also a leading insurer of fishing vessels, small craft and aquaculture risks. The Standard and Poor’s ‘A’ rated Club is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK with regional offices and subsidiaries in China (Hong Kong and Shanghai), Greece, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, USA and Sunderland Marine offices worldwide. North is a leading member of the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG), with over 12% of the IG’s owned tonnage. The 13 IG clubs provide liability cover for approximately 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage and, as a member of the IG, North protects and promotes the interests of the international shipping industry.