Bisnis.com, JAKARTA – A shipyard in the Chinese coastal city of Zhoushan has denied entry to ships arriving or changing crew India in the past three months, citing concerns about rising infections in the South Asian country.

Restrictions have been imposed on ships from India and Bangladesh, with the city even banning Indian ships from entering for maintenance and repair purposes, said a spokesman for shipping and logistics company Wilhelmsen Group.

The Wilhelmsen group had been informed of the ban by a shipyard operating in the city, the spokesman said. Details were obtained from an official from Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard Co.

Several Zhoushan shipyards are in the top 10 in the world in terms of business volume in 2019, according to Chinese daily newspaper. The city is also home to some of the largest oil terminals and storage tanks in the country.

The same restrictions do not apply to ships carrying cargo from India, according to a Zhoushan port official and an oil trader who refused to be named.

Shipyard officials said the ban was imposed after 11 crew members tested positive for Covid-19 in late April. The infected were on board ships that had docked at local shipyards.

An official from Euronav BV, one of the world’s largest independent crude oil carriers, said in an interview Thursday that once their contracts expire, thousands of seafarers are at risk of being caught at sea due to increasing cases at sea. India. Crew members from Asian countries make up about 15 percent of the entire world.

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