In the wake of the pandemic, over 200,000 seafarers worldwide remain trapped on ships or are waiting for work. Many have been barred from entering ports due to virus restrictions, causing major disruption to international shipping lanes and the wellbeing of sea workers.   A crew change or changeover occurs at a port of call where a new batch of crew members arrive to replace outgoing crew who are nearing the end of their contracts. Outgoing crew members usually will repatriate to their home countries and wait to sign onto a new vessel. Vessels also prefer crewmembers from their home countries due to communication and legal requirements. COVID-19 and subsequent restrictions on international borders have made the process of switching crewmembers challenging. For instance, authorities in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai have placed heavier restrictions on ships entering their ports following spikes of COVID-19 in countries like India. Virus Restrictions Disrupting …