20 March 2020
Port workers across the UK are designated as essential key workers to support the national effort to keep the supply chain moving. The UK Government published guidance on COVID-19 key workers earlier this week to ensure supermarkets and medical goods remain available.
Peel Ports Group has a critical role in maintaining supply chains of the UK and Republic of Ireland, and has been recognised as a business of national importance to UK plc.
Workers at the Port of Liverpool are working round the clock handling large amounts of containerised and un-containerised medical, food and other key supplies including blood plasma and medicines such as inhalers from Ireland. Blood plasma and inhalers used by the UK are imported through the Port of Liverpool, both of which are essential to support the NHS.
Key personnel included in the government guidance are those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods such as medicines and equipment.
David Huck, Group Managing Director at Peel Ports said: “In these unprecedented times, it’s crucial that supply routes are protected to ensure medical, energy, fuel and the food provisions remain available to all citizens throughout what is likely to be a sustained period of crisis. We have a collective responsibility to ensure our Ports remain fully functioning while taking every practicable measure to protect the safety and wellbeing of our dedicated workforce.