Dear Members,
We have all been inundated with COVID19 communications from all manner of sources in the last few weeks. There has also been no shortage of generic advice from health departments across Australia.
As each State, employer and jurisdiction come up with a plethora of COVID19 responses, AMPI thought that it was time that some targeted and practical advice to Marine Pilots was produced, to help Marine Pilots on an individual level understand the basics of viral transmission in the pilotage environment, and how best to protect themselves from infection.
The attached document has been written by one of our member marine pilots in consultation with a Master Mariner who also holds a microbiology degree. It has been medically corroborated by an occupational physician (Dr Maurice Harden) and endorsed by a triage nurse currently working on the COVID19 frontline.
Without wanting to delve too deeply into medical and microbiological science, the information is designed to shine some light on the fundamentals of viral transmission and debunk some widely held misconceptions. There is no doubt this virus is highly transmittable but with sensible precautions we can prevent ourselves becoming infected and more importantly, prevent further transmission.
Captain Peter Dann
President
Australasian Marine Pilots Institute