Colombo Port at sea with workers struck down by COVID-19

Work at Colombo Port remained crippled as 60 workers were identified as COVID -19 positive, and nearly 200 have been quarantined.

Port sources said that the operations of the state-run JCT terminal were the worst affected as more persons working at the terminal were found to be COVID -19 positive.

All Ceylon General Port Employers Union spokesman G. Nirosahan said that due to the delay of operations at the JCT terminal, ships that had reached the port were unable to leave.

Mr Niroshan said although the Ports Authority was offering incentives to bring back employees, attendance was poor. The workers are reluctant to come as they are not in agreement with the Port’s COVID response programme. He said the workers complain that they do not want to do home quarantining if they were found to be associates of COVID patients as they feared transmitting the virus to their families.

Meanwhile SLPA Chairman General (Retired) Daya Ratnayake issuing a statement said the attendance of employees of the container terminals had dropped drastically.

He said they hoped to get operations back to normal within a week with additional workers being hired through manpower companies. He said employees infected with the coronavirus were immediately referred for medical treatment while close contacts were traced and subjected to quarantine.

The Customs Media Spokesperson Sunil Jayarathna too added that clearances of consignments had been delayed. He said they have implemented a special work plan to clear the backlog and have requested the police to allow port employees to travel from lockdown areas.