The container captain dies after being infected with the new crown, multiple workers at the port of Singapore are diagnosed, and many Southeast Asian countries are facing a new wave of shocks

India is not the only country where the new round of the new crown epidemic continues to spread in an astonishing situation. The raging wave of the epidemic has spread to other developing countries such as Southeast Asia, Laos, Thailand, as well as Nepal and Bhutan, which border India. In the past few weeks, there has been a surge in newly diagnosed patients with new crowns.
▍The container captain died after being infected with the new crown
It is reported that a container ship was recently banned from entry by Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The captain of the ship was infected with the new crown and died. He has been trapped at anchorage for nearly half a month, and the delay of the ship schedule is inevitable.
The captain of this container ship named "ITAL LIBERA" died of illness during the voyage from Durban, South Africa to Singapore. On April 13, when the ship was heading towards the Strait of Malacca, the ship was banned from entering Singapore because the captain was infected with COVID-19.

The ship "ITAL LIBERA" had to change its course to Jakarta, and was anchored at the Jakarta anchorage on April 19, and has been at anchor since then. The ship was refused entry by Indonesia and Malaysia, but the captain’s body was allowed to be transferred to Italy and all formalities were processed.

According to the announcement issued by the shipping company, "ITAL LIBERA" serves the SA1 route. In addition to the captain, some crew members also tested positive for Covid-19.

As a safety measure, the ship has been berthed in Jakarta Port for 14 days for quarantine. The potential impact of ship and cargo operations is currently being assessed. The call date of subsequent ports will be adjusted accordingly.

▍Several workers in Singapore port are diagnosed
After a tow truck driver tested positive for Covid-19, Singapore's container port may have a Covid-19 cluster, and people are worried that the virus may spread through the port.
On May 6, the Ministry of Health of Singapore announced the testing of port workers. On May 4, a tow driver working at Brani and Pasir Panjang terminals tested positive.
The driver is a Singaporean who was employed by GKE Express Logistics and was sent for a Covid-19 test after developing symptoms on May 2. His infection is related to three other port workers who tested positive in April.

It is reported that the first case in the port cluster was an Indian. He was a lashing expert at Pasir Panjang Terminal and an employee of Seafront Support Company. He lived in a dormitory near Brani Terminal and was detected on April 10. Covid-19 is positive.
He was vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine in February of this year and did not show any symptoms, but his infection was found in a concentrated test, which was carried out by bringing people in high-risk groups together.
The second case in the port cluster is a 35-year-old Burmese who is a stevedore at Pasir Panjang and Brani docks. He lives in a dormitory near Pasir Panjang Pier and was also vaccinated against Covid-19 in February. He also has no symptoms, and his infection was discovered during a routine checkup on April 28.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health said: “The spread of the virus may have occurred at the terminal. Further epidemiological investigations are ongoing.”

▍Seafarers ban

The continued spread of the new crown epidemic in India is affecting global shipping: India is one of the main source countries for seafarers. Affected by the epidemic, many countries have banned the entry of seafarers who have been to India from changing shifts, and some companies have stopped recruiting Indian seafarers.
On May 5, South African authorities announced that 14 seafarers on a cargo ship from India were diagnosed with COVID-19, and another engineer died of a heart attack. The ship is currently under quarantine; Devon, UK, two on a cruise ship A crew member from India was diagnosed; last week, 10 Chinese crew members on a freighter docked in Zhoushan, China, were diagnosed, all imported from India.
To prevent the spread of the mutated virus discovered in India, Singapore has banned seafarers who have recently been to India from changing shifts at Singapore ports. Currently, the ban has been extended to seafarers who have recently visited Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Port of Fujairah in the UAE bans ships from India from performing seafarer changes in the local area; Indonesia has begun banning the entry of people who have recently been to India; South Korea has included India on the list of high-risk countries for the new crown, requiring those arriving in Hong Kong to show a negative certificate for the new crown.

▍India's new crown epidemic is spreading to neighboring countries

At present, some neighbouring countries of India and Southeast Asian countries are experiencing a critical situation of rapid increase in cases and shortage of medical resources. Nepal is even considered to be "becoming a mini India."
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on the 5th that the number of cases in Nepal is now 57 times that of a month ago, and 44% of the test results are positive. However, only 1% of the country's population has completed the vaccination. Nepalese towns close to the border with India are no longer able to cope with the increasing demand for treatment. "If we can't control the epidemic, what's happening in India now is Nepal's terrible future." said Timisiya, chairman of the Nepal Red Cross. "Kathmandu Post" reported on the 5th that Nepal reported 7,587 new cases and 55 deaths on Tuesday, both setting a record for the country's single-day increase. As hospitals are overcrowded, the Nepalese government is worried about an oxygen crisis like India's. It has started importing 20,000 oxygen cylinders and 100 ventilators from China.
Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao stated that there are signs that the epidemic in India is spreading to neighboring countries. The China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed three confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia entering from Chongqing. They were all infected with a mutated virus circulating in India. Researchers speculate that the infection may have occurred in India.

At present, Singapore has announced a ban on entry into India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Passengers who have been to these five countries in the past 14 days are not allowed to enter or transit through Singapore.
Malaysia, Iran, Bangladesh and other countries have announced that they will prohibit the entry and transit of Indian citizens and tourists who have lived in India to prevent the spread of the epidemic in India.
In the face of the epidemic, many countries around the world have extended a helping hand to India. China is one of the countries that clearly offered support and support to India earlier, and it is also one of the countries that took action earlier.
On April 27, the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh held a video conference on cooperating in response to the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
At the meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward proposals on strengthening the six countries’ anti-epidemic cooperation: to consolidate the consensus on fighting the epidemic, deepen pragmatic cooperation in the fight against the epidemic, promote post-epidemic economic recovery, and maintain an international and regional environment that is conducive to the development of all countries.