THE BUREAU of Quarantine (BoQ) has exempted all cargo ships from the required 14-day quarantine amid the novel coronavirus (nCoV) threat, reports Business World.
What is the reason?
Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago said on wednesday, THE BUREAU of Quarantine (BoQ) has exempted all cargo ships from the required 14-day quarantine amid the novel coronavirus (nCoV) threat in consideration of the country’s supply chain.
No quarantine for ships or cargos
Mr. Santiago said in a briefing, “As far as cargo business is concerned, we are business as usual. As far as ships are concerned, there is no quarantine. There is no quarantine in so far as cargos are concerned. We’ve been able to clarify this with the Bureau of Quarantine because initially there was an average 14-day quarantine period being imposed.”
Move after appeal from PPA
The BoQ lifted the policy after PPA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) made an appeal, citing serious disruption in the supply chain.
He said, “It will gravely impact our supply chain if we hold ships in quarantine for an average of 14 days, so they considered that. We have 29 ship arrivals a week, and 83% of the 29, approximately come from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.”
Exemption only to the cargo containers
Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, in a separate interview with reporters, said the exemption applies only to the cargo containers and not the members of the ship’s crew.
Mr. Lopez said that the container should not be quarantined and the people in the boat don’t have to come down. He said stopping the entry of goods will hurt trade unnecessarily.
Alternative due to supply chain delays
At the same time, Mr. Lopez said Philippine manufacturers may have to look for alternative sources as the export and import supply chain experiences delays or should the nCov outbreak drag on.
Quarantine protocol remains active
Mr. Santiago also clarified that the quarantine protocol remains in effect for cruise ships.
He said, as far as cruise ships are concerned, if their last port of embarkation is China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, they will not be allowed to disembark in Philippine ports and will be required to stay aboard the ships.
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Source: Business World
