Heysham ferry company stops shipping drivers and passengers due to coronavirus

Seatruck Ferries is restricting driver and passenger movement across the Irish Sea.

The Heysham based company's CEO Alistair Eagles said that coronavirus (COVID-19) has the potential to significantly impact the Irish Sea supply chains.

He said: "As Governments step up their reactions to the virus it is important that Seatruck Ferries also seek to minimise the risks within our organisation.

"In the cruise industry we have all seen the impact of an outbreak aboard a vessel.

To significantly reduce the risk of crew infection and cross contamination between travelling drivers we have decided to stop shipping any HGV drivers or any other passengers on our Irish Sea vessels with immediate effect.

"Our Irish Sea services will run as normal but will be restricted to the shipment of drop trailers and unaccompanied trade vehicles.

"Customers who normally move driver accompanied vehicles on our services can of course continue to move their traffic, albeit on an unaccompanied trailer only basis.

This short-term preventative measure will apply to all Seatruck routes, Warrenpoint – Heysham, Dublin – Liverpool and Dublin – Heysham.

"It will be regularly reviewed and removed as soon as safe and practical to do so.

"HGV drivers attending our terminals to drop and collect unaccompanied trailers should follow the normal and well published Government guidelines to avoid further spread of the virus."