Busan Port enhances protection of Gamcehon Port from COVID-19
Busan Port Authority stated on Aug. 3 that it is thoroughly responding to the COVID-19 crisis by enhancing disinfection process at Gamcheon Port and frequently reminding prevention methods to foreign crew, the company said in its release.
Gamcheon Port, unlike North and New Ports that mainly handle containers, typically has many vessel types, including freezer/refrigerator vessels, general cargo vessels, and ocean-going fishing vessels, and multi-national crew members.
On Jun. 22, there were confirmed COVID-19 cases on foreign crew members, which led BPA to enhance its emergency response system in collaboration with the Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries and Busan Federation of Port & Transport Worker’s union, in order to prevent the disease from spreading to the local communities.
BPA has frequently conducted disinfection sessions for worker waiting areas, pier entry guard posts, etc. with the help of disinfection service companies, and when there were confirmed cases, the Authority took emergency measures for the relevant pier facilities and surrounding port areas with the help of a public health center.
Moreover, BPA Gamcheon Office came up with a joint inspection group to check real time on the site whether workers are complying the preventive measures and whether crew members and workers have normal body temperature and are wearing appropriate safety equipment. The group checked on these matters and corrected them if noncompliance was found at the site.
For the port users and workers who arrived after long-term fishing period, masks were provided to them if they did not have one, so that everyone using Gamchoen Port can wear masks all the time.
In particular, banners to inform mask wearing was made into different languages, including Korean, English, and Russian, and put up at various places, and announcements on prevention methods were made in 5 different languages, including Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indonesian, reminding foreign crew members using Gamcheon Port on preventive measures.
Since June when there were confirmed COVID-19 cases of Russian crew members, there are no additional cases of infection found on workers of Gamcheon Port. However, BPA is continuously following a strict principle to prevent COVID-19 cases.
