Commissioners Bentzel and Maffei Urge MARAD and CDC to Prioritize Maritime Workforce
This week, Commissioners Carl W. Bentzel and Daniel B. Maffei sent a letter to MARAD Administrator Adm. Mark Buzby and CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, urging them to prioritize PPE, rapid testing supplies, and vaccines for the maritime workforce. “With recent COVID-19 outbreaks impacting the maritime labor workforce and port operations, we strongly recommend that rapid COVID-19 testing be made available to the U.S. maritime labor workforce as soon as possible. Looking ahead, as vaccinations come online, we also recommend that this industry workforce be recognized as a priority for early vaccination given the ongoing role it will play in moving critical medical supplies, PPE, and vaccines,” Commissioners Bentzel and Maffei said.