Pandemic's blight boosts boxship business

JUST as I thought things could not get worse this year, a much more infectious variant of Covid-19 has popped up in the United Kingdom. Apparently it is about 70 per cent more infectious than the strain that caused the first and second waves of the virus.

The slight reassurance being given by officials is that they do not think it is any more deadly than the older variant. But you are much more likely to catch it.

The immediate effect has been the closure of most borders, including those of the country's near continental neighbours. Transport dislocation is mounting by the hour as I write this. The obvious conclusion would be that this new wave of coronavirus would be a body blow to the international liner shipping sector.