Within the framework of the interdisciplinary research project ARMIHN (Adaptive Resilience Management in the Port) a two-day large-scale exercise took place in the Port of Hamburg in October 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exercise could not be realized as a full-scale exercise with a large number of participants and actors as originally planned. Therefore, a hybrid exercise concept with virtual and live parts was developed. The project ARMIHN has shown that the planning, organization, and implementation of a hybrid large-scale exercise is demanding, resource- and time-intensive. On the other hand, the project showed the possibility for exercises to be conducted even when underlying conditions like the COVID-19 pandemic do not support a full-scale exercise in presence.

Zusammenfassung: Die Rolle des Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (ÖGD) auf der lokalen Ebene (Hafenärztlicher Dienst und Öffentlicher Gesundheitsdienst „an Land“) wird dargestellt im Lichte einer sich deutlich wandelnden globalen Gesamtlage u.a. durch geopolitische und pandemische Entwicklungen. Die Notwendigkeit von weiteren zielgerichteten Übungen zur Abwehr biologischer Gefahren wird herausgearbeitet.

The COVID-19 pandemic burdened the working and living conditions of seafaring personnel with particular challenges. The present study investigated the health and occupational burden of 301 multinational seafarers from merchant ships using self-administered questionnaires. The survey was carried out between September and November 2021 on the occasion of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations at the Port of Hamburg, Germany. Participants generally reported good physical and mental health status while general burden perception increased compared to pre-pandemic levels. Three-quarters of seafarers reported experiencing shore-leave denial at least once throughout the pandemic. In summary, the study reveals the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceived occupational burden of seafaring personnel.