A FERRY company vows to fight coronavirus by ensuring its vital supply lines stay open to help stock supermarkets and deliver critical medicine to the nation.

Stena Line, a ferry line between Harwich International Port and the Hook of Holland, has reassured freight and travel customers it is taking every precaution possible to ensure the safety of customers and employees while maintaining supply lines for vital medical goods and food supplies.

The business has been impacted significantly by Covid-19 in the past few weeks, but the company says it is determined to keep services going in strict adherence to government guidelines.

Stena Line is asking customers to adhere to government travel guidelines and the firm has put a host of measures in place to keep its customers and employees safe when travelling on its ships.

This includes freight drivers having their own cabin - not shared - staged embarkation and disembarkation with all arriving passengers being asked to clean their hands and social distancing for all on board.

Isolation cabins have also been allocated and set aside should they be needed.

To help passengers who need to reschedule their trips, Stena Line has waived amendment fees for all travel bookings until April 30.

The company's ferries are still running on schedule, but some services have restricted passenger numbers to ensure social distancing guidelines are met.

Stephen Bryden, group head of onboard sales and services, said: “We really are in uncharted waters right now so we are having to dig deep and use all of our experience and take the advice of the governments where we operate, and their medical experts, to help us navigate our way through this crisis to.

"Keeping our customers and colleagues safe while keeping our important services operational is our main priority at the moment.

“We are acutely aware of the responsibility we have to help maintain vital supply lines between the UK and Ireland, as well as continental Europe. "

He said its services and colleagues will be put under immense strain in the weeks and months ahead, and he appreciated people will still need to travel for essential reasons.

Mr Bryden added: “Now, more than ever, freight supply lines are vital to help keep the supermarkets stocked and ensure critical medicines and medical equipment are delivered.

"We will do everything within our means to keep these important logistics routes open and functioning.”

Share the hashtag #BackingEssexBusinesses.