March 13, 2020 in COVID-19 UPDATES CUSTOMER ADVISORY
Customer Advisory – COVID 19 Update: Greater Asia
March 13, 2020
Due to the rapid increase in confirmed cases of COVID 19 outside of Greater Asia, APL Logistics is issuing regional advisories to provide a clearer picture of possible impacts and preparations being made. Global cases can be tracked by accessing this live map created by Johns Hopkins University.
The number of new cases at the epicenter of the epidemic has declined steadily, with most Chinese cities (except Hubei province) generally returning to normal activities.
In light of the recent spikes outside of China, our business continuity plans (BCP) for Greater Asia have been ramped up around South East Asia, South Asia and other parts of North Asia. Similar to our response in China, readiness measures include: work-from-home and split workforce capabilities, country and facility level operational status assessments, heightened sanitation and wellness requirements, sanitary supply inventories, etc. Of particular note:
- Singapore: Per the Ministry of Health, Singapore remains in “DORSCON” level Orange. As an additional precautionary measure, beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, our Singapore offices will be implementing a mandatory split home/office workforce.
- Philippines: On the evening of March 12, the Department of Health raised the code alert system to Red Sublevel 2 (the highest level), and President Duterte outlined restrictions of travel by people in and out of Metro Manila by sea, land and air. Port and warehouse operations remain normal for now, but we do anticipate some truck congestion and delay at identified checkpoints in and out of the Manila metro. These restrictions are scheduled to be in place until April 14, subject to regular reviews by the government. We have accordingly implemented a split home/office workforce.
- South Korea: At time of publication, there are currently 7,869 reported cases in South Korea. Our Seoul office has accordingly implemented a split workforce. Our CFS facility continues to operate without disruption.
Maintaining a stable virtual work environment is a core capability of our BCP, and we expect no interruptions in service due to implementation of home workforces.
Finally, by way of updating information provided in our previous Advisories:
- Greater Asia Port Operations: There remain no known operational disruptions as a result of additional port protocols in Greater Asia. Our local operations teams are regularly tracking and compiling port updates in their respective regions.
- Return to Work in China: Employees in offices have been cleared to return back to work premises with the exception of those in Wuhan city (whom continue to work from home). We will continue to maintain a split home/office workforce as needed.
- APLL China CFS Operations: All CFS locations are back to normal operations. There still remain some road accessibility issues for truckers in Yantian/Shekou/ Chiwan, and truckers still have not returned to work in Hubei, but overall all operational functions related to all APL Logistics China CFS network have resumed. Please refer to this updated APL Logistics China/Hong Kong Operational Status Update for further information, and contact your KAM for further information related to your cargo.
Click here to download the advisory
As always, information regarding the COVID 19, including Q&A, online training, technical guidelines, preventative measures, travel guidance, etc. can be found on the WHO website: www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus, and we encourage you to reference local health authorities and guidelines in your area.
About APL Logistics
APL Logistics is the go-to global supply chain specialist for companies in the Automotive, Consumer, Industrials, and Retail sectors. The APL Logistics group of companies has a global network covering all major markets and is backed by a multinational workforce of over 6,800 people. APL Logistics Ltd is a member of the Kintetsu World Express group, a global logistics services provider. For more information, www.apllogistics.com or email us at global_marketing@apllogistics.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.