An interpreter who had worked at the IMO’s London headquarters in early March has tested positive for coronavirus, the UN body has confirmed.
Chinese media ship.sh first reported that an Arabic-language interpreter of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) was diagnosed with the Covid-19.
When asked to verify the information, the IMO told TradeWinds in an email: “A short-term conference interpreter working in the IMO headquarters building on 4 March 2020, but showing no symptoms, was later diagnosed with Covid-19.”
“All individuals who were in close contact with this person while they were in the building have been informed.”
No mass testing is planned as per the advice from World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK government.
“In accordance with the host government recommended procedures, certain areas of the building are undergoing deep cleaning during the closure period. The remainder of the building will be sanitised as appropriate,” the IMO added.
The seventh SSE session was held at the Albert Embankment building between 2 and 6 March.
The IMO has cancelled the Scientific Group of the London Convention and London Protocol between 9 to 13 March and the 107th session of the Legal Committee between 16 to 20 March.
The headquarters building is closed between 12 and 16 March due to the positive case as well as the WHO’s designation of Covid-19 outbreak as a pandemic, according to the IMO.
“From Tuesday 17 March, any social visits to the IMO headquarters building are actively discouraged,” the organisation said.
“Group visits and other external events in the building are currently cancelled until 15 April.”
The 7th meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships between 23 to 27 March and the 75th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee from 30 March to 3 April are also cancelled.
In those meetings, member states of IMO had been due to discuss short-term decarbonisation measures for international shipping due to be effective from 2023.
Brussels’ resolve in folding shipping into the European Union’s existing emissions trading scheme is expected to harden if the IMO fails to finalise the regulations this year.
TradeWinds earlier this month reported European Commission officials wanted emissions trading to kick off as soon as possible, irrespective of progress at the IMO.
The IMO said it would seek to reschedule the cancelled meetings and give updates on meetings scheduled for April as soon as possible. Currently, the majority of its staff is working remotely.
