Abu Dhabi Ports has constructed COVID-19 testing facilities at Zayed Port and Khalifa Port, in a bid to preserve the health and safety of maritime personnel in Abu Dhabi and to drive business continuity. The facilities can be used by all port employees, as well as contractors and subcontractors working in the port.
According to a statement, the 150sqm testing facilities feature the latest equipment for detecting COVID-19 and are staffed by qualified medical personnel who can conduct tests in minutes. Results are said to take 24 hours and Abu Dhabi Ports said it aims to conduct 6,000 tests in the upcoming days.
“Hundreds of thousands of port personnel, ship crews, and offshore workers across the world are running critical maritime operations, day and night, to ensure that the global supply chain continues to move critical cargo to where it is most needed. As part of our fight against COVID-19, it is imperative we redouble our efforts to protect the health of these invaluable individuals, so they can continue to support our vital economic and trade lifelines and help mitigate the overall impact of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Captain Hazzaa Al Junaibi, Corporate Security manager at Abu Dhabi Ports.
Abu Dhabi Ports states that it introduced several measures to ensure health and safety is maintained across all aspects of its operations, since the outbreak of the pandemic.
It has introduced temperature screening at all sea checkpoints, as well as thermal scans of all vessel crews and offshore personnel operating in Abu Dhabi waters. The port authority also regularly sends medical teams to its maritime assets including those in the Al Dhafra region to ensure the safety of all operating staff and business continuity, the statement said.
It has also kicked-off disinfection and sterilisation exercises across all its maritime facilities, in line with the Department of Healths directives for combatting the spread of the coronavirus.
To show its support for critical infrastructure personnel and healthcare providers battling COVID-19, Abu Dhabi Ports noted that it has enacted a solidarity campaign that will continue to run until the conclusion of the global pandemic. Named the Horn of Hope, the initiative calls for the daily sounding of horns in 15-second bursts from all ships in harbours around the world.
