North P&I Club has announced the launch of a digital tool to help shipowners and operators track the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
North has developed its MyGlobalView platform so that it can now provide live updates on the number of confirmed cases of the virus, countries at risk, and what to look out for, the company said. The software sources its data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other sources, and can assist ships with chartering and operations and help prepare staff for what to expect when arriving in port.
“We are committed to ensuring that our shipowner members have easy access to up-to-date advice and guidance to operate safely,” said Simon McLeod, deputy director for loss prevention at North P&I Club. “So we take outbreaks like the coronavirus very seriously and have acted quickly to release this latest update to our MyGlobalView platform. As well as receiving information from the WHO, Johns Hopkins University and other organisations tracking the virus, we also have a huge network of contacts in ports across the world who are updating us with local information as the infection spreads. This means the software is as up-to-date and informative as possible.”
The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, at the end of last year, has so far infected more than 2,000 people in China, Europe, the UK and North America. More than 400 people have died from the virus so far, all in China. The WHO has declared the coronavirus a global health crisis.
