COVID Impact on LA/LB
COVID-19 positivity rates continue to climb globally. The USA set a record on Monday, January 3, with more than 1 million positive cases reported. 95% of new cases in the USA are attributed to the fast-spreading omicron variant.
As anticipated, COVID-19 positivity rates are also climbing amongst the key port and office workers within the LA/LB port complex. We have yet to see a negative impact on port operations due to COVID-19, but the coming weeks are a concern following Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
An increase in positive cases will negatively impact the terminals’ ability to fill work gangs. This will directly lead to further congestion and idling ships as the time to unload increases due to lack of labor. The knock-on effect will be further vessel dwell, vessels at anchor, and vessels drifting beyond the anchorage area.
US Weather Delays
A winter storm spreading snow and some ice from the mid-South to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast will likely create travel headaches across those regions into Friday.
This latest system – named Winter Storm Garrett by The Weather Channel – is following on the heels of Sunday’s and Monday’s snowstorm, which dumped over a foot of snow in parts of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey, and left travelers stranded on an icy stretch of Interstate 95 near Fredericksburg, Virginia, into Tuesday.
This storm is anticipated to cause trucking delays and facility closures. At this time, all Noatum Logistics facilities remain open and fully operational.
If you have any questions, please contact your local Noatum Logistics representative.