During the first four months of this year Callao, the country’s biggest port, has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus. Container flows have proven more erratic than previous years owing to, firstly, the effect of port closures and logistical networks in China, along with the usual disruptions caused by the Chinese New Year (from January 25 to February 1). Then came the effects of the government in Peru realising the severity of the virus outbreak and its worldwide spread. The Peruvian government installed a State of Emergency on March 17, and state run bodies such as the Autoridad Portuaria Nacional (APN) have worked closely with port terminal operators – such as DP World Callao (DPWC) and AP Moller Terminals in Callao (APMTC) – to implement the containment safety policies. Working from home wherever possible, and strict protocols for port workers – including daily checks of temperature, the use of Personal Protective Clothing (PPEs) when necessary, work distancing, disinfectant availability and a raft of other measures – have quickly become the norm and just as well, for both terminals have been particularly busy and tested at times, especially during February and March. Around 85 per cent of DPWC staff are direct employees, and around 15 per cent of APMTC’s, with the rest made up of non-core “casual” labour.
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