What happened to the port and shipping industry

　It has entered the third day of the nationwide 'closed city' in Italy, and the epidemic continues to expand.

　　 At 18:00 local time on March 11, the latest data released by the Italian Civil Defense Department showed that in the past day, there were 2,313 new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in Italy, and a total of 12,462 confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia. There were 196 new deaths and a total of 827 deaths. A total of 1045 people have been cured.

　　With the increasingly severe situation of the epidemic, within a few days, the Italian government has continuously upgraded its prevention and control measures.

　　 On the evening of March 11, Italian Prime Minister Conte announced that all stores in Italy will be closed except for necessities stores and pharmacies, and bars and restaurants will also be closed. In addition, starting from March 10th, Italy has begun to implement the 'closed city' nationwide, and the deadline is April 3.

　　 After the 'closing the city', will Italian port operations also be affected? How will shipping companies develop their business?

It is reported that the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has specified that the ports of Gioia Tauro, La Spezia, Genoa, Naples and Trieste can be Continue to carry out freight activities.

　　 According to a report in Lowe's Daily, some people in the Italian shipping industry also said that Italian ports are still operating normally. 'Residents are not allowed to move outside their place of residence, but truck drivers are allowed to self-certify to prove the necessity of their travel.'

　　 However, the delay of the goods is certain. For example, the inspection of non-EU imported goods usually only takes two days, but now it may take more than a week.

　　 As for shipping companies, most of them use telecommuting to continue their business.

　　Maritime law firm Watson Farley&Williams partner Furio Samela revealed that major Italian shipping companies have developed telecommuting plans to continue their work.

　　 'These companies will definitely be affected, but the impact may not be as serious as other companies, after all, they have not stopped working.'

　　 In fact, some shipping companies announced the use of telecommuting as early as February to ensure the health of employees and reduce the impact on customers.

　　 On February 26, Maersk issued a notice stating that considering the development of the epidemic in northern Italy, Maersk employees in Milan and Venice work from home and use relevant systems and tools to ensure full operations.