The USCG has released further information identifying ‘essential workers’ needed for sustaining the continuous flow of maritime commerce.

Many MTS workers will have a federal Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) that may be used to confirm their MTS nexus.

However, many others in the support framework will not have specific maritime identification or may be in the process of applying for a TWIC.

In any cases where there is a question, state officials are highly encouraged to engage directly with their local Coast Guard Captain of the Port to confirm whether the worker is essential to MTS operations.

Included in the list:

• Merchant mariners; 
• Federal and state pilots; 
• Stevedores, longshoremen, and line handlers; 
• Representatives of seafarers’ welfare and labor organizations; 
• Marine consultants, naval architects, marine exchanges, surveyors and shipyard workers; 
• Classification Society and Recognized Organization surveyors and auditors; 
• Vessel owners, operators, shipping agents and marine dispatchers; 
• Technical representatives and contractors; 
• Bridge operators and bridge repair personnel; 
• Lock and Dam operators and workers; 
• Lighthouse servicing and repair personnel; 
• Commercial barge fleeting facility personnel; 
• Equipment, cargo, crane and dredging operators; 
• Truck drivers, launch/tug/towing operators and other intermodal transportation workers; 
• Vendors and ship chandlers providing ship services, husbandry and provisions; 
• Federal & State Agency personnel (e.g., Coast Guard, Customs and Boarder Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Army Corps of Engineers, local health & safety organizations) 

Other categories are included as follows:

• Transportation and Logistics
• Petroleum Workers
• Hazardous Materials
• Critical Manufacturing
• Healthcare/Public Health

Link to the MISB at the top if this post.