AS WE all face this challenging and unprecedented time, the whole port community in Southampton is taking action to keep critical supplies moving and essential goods on supermarket shelves whilst keeping our colleagues, customers and their families safe.

We recognise that all businesses are facing difficulties at present but the port remains open in order to keep trade flowing and Britain trading.

We, like many others, have never seen challenges quite like these before but we’re working with our port partners, Port Health and Public Health England to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of all our colleagues across the port.

We remain in close contact with all the shipping lines and are doing our best to stay as flexible as we can to accommodate their needs. We know that businesses around the port are working hard to look after their staff while continuing to operate as the current situation allows. We have continued to welcome a number of cruise ships back to the port, whilst adapting to their ongoing operational needs. The situation is changing daily and we are working hard to ensure that we can manage the berthing arrangements for these cruise vessels and other trade entering and leaving the port which sometimes involves rotating ships and their position in the port.

Operations staff at DP World Southampton have continued to work around the clock to make sure supermarkets and pharmacies receive vital supplies, many of which arrive by container ship into the city’s busy port.

The Port of Southampton forms a vital link in ABP’s nationwide network, which sees ports across the UK play a critical strategic role in supporting the nation’s supply chains. That is why the maritime sector will continue to work closely with the Department for Transport and other central and local government departments to ensure continuity of services so that we can help keep as many companies as possible in business during this global pandemic.