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Australia sends troops to help contain virus on ore ship near Port Hedland

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Most people are not aware of an incipient crisis in the maritime industry caused by Covid-19 related travel restrictions. Most mariners sail on 6 month contracts and either join their ship or depart for home from a port the ship is making a call in to load or unload cargo. They fly to or from these ports on commercial airlines using tickets provided by their employer who is often a staffing agency employed by the ships owner or the company the owner hires to operate the ship. Since nations imposed travel restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19, crew members of merchant ships all around the world have not been able to go home. The International Maritime Organization says there are over 300,000 maritime workers who have been on their ships a year or more, are off their contracts and in many cases not being paid because their contracts expired. Yet they are often prohibited from going ashore when their ships are in port and are not allowed to fly home. Crews are growing weary and making mistakes. Some are now refusing to leave ports. This threatens to disrupt international shipping everywhere for everyone if nothing is done and soon.

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So what are the troops supposed to do? Shoot the virus?

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