An ‘outbreak’, in very simple terms is defined as prevalence of an infectious disease in a population. In the context of merchant ships, an outbreak is when multiple crew members are infected by the same infectious disease. In the confines of the onboard environment, infectious diseases can spread rapidly from one crew member to another. .
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in collaboration with experts from leading international bodies to help shipping companies and seafarers have updated the guidance to follow health advice provided by United Nations agencies and other national organisations in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Guidance for Ship Operators for the Protection of the Health of .