Covid Screening

@ all

I started this new thread because i think it needs to be started. From many LT shareholders I have been around and in RAP since the early days.

As some may have guessed, my primary occupation is in Shipping. In my normal work I and my team do attend many hundreds of foreign vessels yearly.

Background

When covid first made its unwelcome appearance on the world scene, three years ago, the initial response was 'not to bring covid into Australia. As, during the early stages - which for Australia was nearly two years, the biggest danger was ship > shore. Of course, there are some very sad cases where seafarers have been abandoned, to die alone on their ships, far away from friends and famileis..as no country would take the risk of landing them. Since that time, there has been a shift - which probably stared in around mid 2021, when shipowners started to realise that there was a greater risk of shore to ship.....again, Australia was considered a 'safe place'.

With the Omicron wave, we have a situation where the shore > ship risk is far greater, and yet, believe it or not, protocols on ships are have still very lax. In about 1 in 50, there are ships require RAT test, and those good shipowners carry a stock. But of the other 49, it is a simple declaration at the ship's gangway and some very poor quality temperature testing devices..is all we have (i actually recorded a temp of 44 degrees on one)

At present we are are certainly in a phase of shore>ship risk. And yes i know that the severity of Omicron is not as serious as previous strains, but as an ex seafarer, working in the industry, i am troubled by those 1 in 100 that may die, i am troubled when that 1 in 10 may become incapacitated.

So, using ResAPP as a screening tool. On cargo vessels, this is not particularly difficult, I have already floated this idea with a specific Port Authority in Australia, along with a shipowner (who also have a base in Aus) - there is also (unofficial) media interest in a LIVE trail that can could be carried out - here in Aus. I have floated this idea to ResAPP, but they have nor yet responded. OK, this is great as a live trial, and may get traction within the shipping industry, but there will be limited revenue from this. Reason being - it is all about people, and volumes of people.

Once this is screening can be accepted as a very good way forward in the shipping industry - and can be accepted as such, then the biggie can come in - the Cruise Industry. Now lets look at this scenario. Millions of people like cruising. Now is any cruise line going to knock back a passenger as they may have Covid...no.....they don't want to know. Cruise companies do not consider people as individuals, only assets. After all their time on board is limited....but there is a case for the quick easy screening. Will it not be a great PR benefit for a cruise company to do this screening, and advise the passenger - 'you probably have covid' - be careful ? It a very hard marketing thing to do, but may well reap rich rewards.

This similar sort of thing can be applied anywhere in the leisure industry.....seeing today that Qantas has just said they don't need screening for their own staff at checkins..... that's really smart an socially responsible NOT.

OK shame them, Profits v People

So sorry for the long post but the scenario of cargo ships as described before has taken a lot of work to get parties together...only need ResAPP to join