To date, Argentina only inoculated close to 19 per cent of the country’s population
The percentile is computed by a record 16.8 million administered doses – on the basis of 2 shots. However, seafarers chose to demand inoculation with a strike, just to keep working.
Vaccine rollouts can be quicker
A group of 9 Argentine port worker unions planned a 24-hour strike to push for COVID-19 vaccinations; a by-product of prolonged fruitless appeals. Tugboat captains and customs officers have also paused work recently as the country got hit by a second wave of COVID-19. The labour groups said in their statement, “We have raised the issue and held meetings with different authorities to obtain concrete answers regarding the application of vaccines against COVID-19. To date, we have not received responses or solutions.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed Latin America is among the regions in dire need of vaccines. Officials at the WHO repeatedly appealed to world governments for accelerated vaccine distributions to hard-hit nations, warning that many countries in Latin America face rising caseloads. Dr Carissa F. Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (within WHO), stressed: “Across our region, this year has been worse than last year. In many places, infections are higher now than at any point in this pandemic.”
Strike is not a preferred move
Argentina’s current COVID-19 death toll is 87,261. The latest data revealed the country’s infection rate averages at 356 per every 100,000. Guillermo Wade, Manager of Argentina’s Chamber of Port and Maritime Activities (CAPyM), told the media: “We will not be able to moor and unmoor cargo ships, so that will impact loading.”
Ultimately, a strike is never a recommended approach. 5 port industry chambers proven so by demonstrating their commitment to the industry through a collective appeal for government’s intervention to prevent the strike, and allow shipping to continue. This is while efforts are taken to resolve the crisis amicably.
Crewing Online Media Team
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