COVID19 Shipping Guidance & Situational Awareness in the Worst Affected Countries!

In a major development, the North P&I Club has issued an advisory on COVID19, says a press release available on its website.

What is it?

In response to the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus outbreak, a number of countries, ports, and organizations are publishing details of the measures being put in place.

The below is a brief summary of the information we have received so far that has the potential to impact ship operations, says their press release.

Countries & Their COVID19 Shipping Advisory

Below are the advisory for shipping issued by the respective countries. 

China

Huatai summarises the protection and control measures implemented by the port Authorities of each major Chinese port:

Health declarations

1. Health declaration before berthing:

• Tianjin and Xiamen Health Declaration Form is required before vessel’s berthing.
• Dalian the Customs officers will attend on board the vessel and take temperature of each crew.

2. Vessels with crew from Wuhan or Hubei Province on board would be monitored especially.

• Putian and Quanzhou of Fujian Province: may not be allowed to take berth.
• Ningbo the vessel probably has to be isolated for 14 days before taking berth.

3. Substitution of crew is limited.

• Shanghai, Xiamen, Ningbo, Tianjin, Dalian forbidden by the port Authorities.
• Qingdao and Guangzhou forbidden in principle, unless under some special circumstances.

4. Crew disemarkation is strictly restricted by all ports

5. During berth in the port, the crew should take preventive measures.

• Dalian, Xiamen, Guangzhou: The crew must wear a facial mask when they have contact with others in the port.
• Tianjin: The crew must wear a facial mask and temperature test should be taken every day. When any crew has fever, the Customs should be informed immediately.

Port congestion / port operation

1. The loading/discharging operation slow down due to lack of stevedores

2. The land transportation of cargo into the port or from the port is insufficient since trucks without local license are restricted to enter into the port area.

3. As vessels are restricted to call at Wuhan port, transhipment of cargo by inland river feeder vessels in and out the ports in the Yangtze River is affected.

Ports affected:

• Shanghai, Tianjin, Huanghua, Lianyungang, Jingtang and Caofeidian

Ports not affected:

• Dalian, Qingdao, Xiamen and Guangzhou

We learned that Zhangjiagang Port and the ports nearby in Yangtze River were  ort of congested due to heavy fog from time to time in the past week instead of the outbreak of coronavirus.

Supply of Provisions

Generally speaking, supply of provisions to foreign vessels is not restricted.

• Tianjin: Demand of Supply of Provisions be declared 24 hours in advance.
• Qingdao and ports nearby: Has limit to some of the provisions. Please check with local agents.
• Dalian: The provisions should be quarantined by Customs as usual.

Ship Repair

Due to lack of workers, the schedule of ship repair might be affected.

• Zhoushan as the local Government restricted the entrance of vehicles with license of other places and people from other places, the efficiency of the shipyards in Zhoushan decreased substantially.

Cargo Preparing

Some exported cargo could not be delivered to the loading ports in time due to transportation restriction in and out of Hubei Province. It is reported that China Council for the Promotion of International Trade would offer force majeure certificates to local companies, if they are unable to fulfil their international contractual obligations due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Huatai experiences of recent issues and cases  (as of 13 Feb 2020) can be read by using link on the left. It includes two cases from Xiamen and Shanghai office that suggest that crew on board with cough or fever will cause several hours delay of discharging operation until the crew were excluded from NCP infection by medical examination. Also a case where a vessel was delayed 10 days due to an engineer from Hubei Province on board

We suggest Members whose vessels are scheduled to call at Chinese ports in the near future, to keep close contact with their local agent so as to get the latest port information, and to remind their crewmembers to take necessary protection measures.

Guidance was issued by the MSA of the People’s Republic of China on March 2, 2020: Operational Guidance for Ships and Seafarers for prevention and Control of COVID- 19 Epidemic. It is with reference to the WHO and IMO Guidance on the prevention and control of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic on ships, and based on the practical experience of shipping companies on the prevention and control of the epidemic. The Guidance aims to provide advice for the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic on ships and guidance for the personal protection of crew.

On March 20, 2020, the Shanghai authorities responsible for such matters issued a notice regarding new requirements and procedures to be followed making it possible in certain circumstances for crew change to take place at Shanghai port.

For ships not arriving from a “severe outbreak” country, crew changes can be arranged in the normal manner. However, if the ship is arriving from a “severe outbreak” country, crew changes should be minimized as much as possible, but are still possible subject to necessary quarantine measures.

Currently, 24 countries are on the “severe outbreak” list which includes South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan, France, Spain, Germany, USA, UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Netherland, Austria, Australia, Malaysia, Greece, Czech Republic, Finland, Qatar, Canada, Saudi Arabia. This list is subject to update according to development globally.

France

On 27 January, ship agents received a memorandum from the Port of Marseille-Fos confirming that the sea links between Wuhan and Dourges have been suspended. Contact the French medical emergency services (SAMU – call “15”) and tell them of any journey to Wuhan (or China).

To reduce the risk transmission, people with novel coronavirus-type symptoms are requested not to go to a hospital or general practitioner.

Coronavirus situation in French ports:

• Dunkirk:  no specific measure has been implemented by the Port Authorities to date nor has any specific information been issued to the attention of local Agents
• Le Havre: A “sanitary watch” has been ordered by the Harbour Master’s office, consisting in the obligation for Masters of vessels calling in port to notify immediately their Agent and fill in a “Déclaration Maritime de Santé” (DMS – health maritime declaration form) in case of any signs of pathology amongst the crew.
• Rouen: A “sanitary watch” has been ordered by the Harbour Master’s office, consisting in the obligation for Masters of vessels calling in port to notify immediately their Agent and fill in a “Déclaration Maritime de Santé” (DMS – health maritime declaration form) in case of any signs of pathology amongst the crew.
• Brest: No specific measure implemented in Brest to date. The Harbor Master has only asked Agents to pay specific attention to vessel with Asian crewmembers onboard or regarding crew changes with transits via Hong Kong or Singapore
• Lorient: Agents have been asked to have all vessels calling fill in a questionnaire drafted by the local Port Authorities detailing crew movements for the past 14 days and enquiring about possible symptoms related to the illness (copy enclosed) + to hand out to all incoming vessels the “TRAVELLERS’ ADVICE” flyers issued by the French Ministry of Health.
• Nantes/St Nazaire/Donges/Montoire: Agents have been asked to display and hand out to all incoming vessels the “TRAVELLERS’ ADVICE” flyers issued by the French Ministry of Health.
• La Rochelle/La Pallice: Agents have been asked to notify the Harbor Master’s office of any incoming vessel with Chinese crew onboard or having called in a Chinese port over the last 15 days, in which case these vessels are compelled to fill in a DMS before they can get clearance to berth.
• Bordeaux/Ambes/Blaye/Bassens: Agents have been asked to display and hand out to all incoming vessels the “TRAVELLERS’ ADVICE” flyers issued by the French Ministry of Health.
• Bayonne: Agents have been asked to display and hand out to all incoming vessels the “TRAVELLERS’ ADVICE” flyers issued by the French Ministry of Health.
• Sète: Agents have been asked to display and hand out to all incoming vessels the “TRAVELLERS’ ADVICE” flyers issued by the French Ministry of Health + to notify the Harbor Master’s office of any incoming vessel with Chinese crew onboard
• Port-Vendres: no specific measure has been implemented by the Port Authorities to date nor has any specific information been issued to the attention of local Agents
• Marseille/Fos/Lavera: Agents have been asked to display and hand out to all incoming vessels the “TRAVELLERS’ ADVICE” flyers issued by the French Ministry of Health.

19 March: Surveyors across the country to get their feeling on the situation, all have confirmed to date that, while they are prepared to attend urgent and important matters onboard vessels with the necessary protective gear and measures in place, they will most probably have to reconsider more simple assignments (such as draft surveys, preloadings and so on) on a case-by-case basis as such might be considered as “non-essential” by the Authorities in case of control.

Except for performing security & safety tasks related to their vessel, Crew members are also subject to the above-described confinement measures and are no longer permitted to disembark during calls.

As for crew changes, the European Union having now officially closed its borders, all crew changes are suspended for non-EU crew members as they are no longer allowed in or out of the country. As for EU crew members, situation will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Authorities and under the strict provision that the repatriation can be proven “necessary/essential”.

French ports are still operating, most of them normally, some on a downgraded scale. Stevedoring companies are still working with limited personnel, and Agents around the country are now reduced to a bare-minimum staff and limiting their attendance onboard vessels to a strict minimum to avoid contact.

For more port-by-port details, we suggest referring to the INVENTORY OF MEASURES RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS FOR FRENCH PORTS which has been put in place by Ship Agents SEA INVEST and is available on their website.

Hong Kong

The Government has imposed a 14-day compulsory quarantine on all the people entering Hong Kong from the Chinese Mainland irrespective of their nationalities.

Links to the Government press releases on the exemption arrangements and specific measures of the relevant Regulation are appended below  –

• Exemption arrangement under Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation
  – English version
  – Chinese version
• Gazettal of the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation and Prevention and Control of Disease (Disclosure of Information) Regulation
  – English version
  – Chinese version

Italy

11thMarch 2020 Italian Ports Association: Italian ports are fully operational and ensure safety of persons and goods.

In  full  respect  of  the  measures  adopted  by  the  Government  with  the  primary  objective  of  protecting public health as a result of the medical emergency, the Italian Ports Association (Assoporti) wishes to clarify that all Italian ports are fully operational with suitable measures to guarantee maximum safety of port operations and goods. Italian ports are fully operational with regular service to the national community and all their offices, including those devoted to controls, guaranteeing regularity of the sea activities.

The measures adopted by the Government in no way restrict the movement of goods in the country.

The  precautionary obligation of the “Free Sanitary Practice” issued by the  Local Office  of  Maritime Health remains in force, which authorizes ships to berth, and the Italian ports are ready to adopt any new measures that were to be issued by the Office of Civil Defense (so-called: Protezione Civile).

Italy’s prime minister published a decree on 9 March “laying down urgent measures to contain and manage the epidemiological emergency brought on by COVID-19” and extending the emergency measures introduced by the previous day’s decree to all of Italy. The measures will be in force until 3 April, subject to any further measures being introduced. In brief, people must avoid travelling anywhere in the country.

The head of Italy’s Civil Protection Service advise that the travel restrictions:

(a) do not apply to the transport and transit of goods or to the entire supply chain to and from the affected areas; and

(b) do not prevent individuals from travelling for work- or health-related reasons, or for other needs.

Local sources confirm there are no limitations for vessels entering the ports of Ravenna Trieste and Monfalcone.

23 March: All Italian ports are open for container ships and commercial vessel for the traffic of goods, whilst an international suspension of cruise ship traffic and a national suspension (or drastic reduction) of passenger traffic for Sardinia and Sicily Islands are operative.

Terminals, stevedores and logistic activities are operating under strict rules and safety conditions to safeguard all operators, stevedores and crew members from potential exposure.

The Courts remain operative only for urgent procedures, such as arrest or payment injunctions, which can be filed electronically (system now in use in Italy).Mediation and negotiation proceedings are suspended until 15th April 2020. All time bars and prescription terms expiring between 9th March 2020 and 15th April 2020 are suspended.

Japan

Japan’s Ministry of Justice is denying permission to land to the following foreigners, unless the circumstances are exceptional.

Foreigners who have stayed in any of the following cities/provinces/regions within 14 days prior to the application for landing:

• People’s Republic of China: Hubei Province, Zhejiang Province
• Republic of Korea: Daegu-guangyeok-si, or Cheondo-gun, Gyeongsan-si, Andong-si, Yeongcheon-si, Chilgok-gun, Uiseong-gun, Seongju-gun, Gunwigun in Gyeongsangbuk-do
• Islamic Republic of Iran: Gilan Province , Qom Province, Tehran Province, Alborz Province, Isfahan Province, Qazvin Province, Golestan Province, Semnan Province, Manzandaran Province, Markazi Province, Lorestan Province
• Italy: Veneto Region, Emilia-Romagna Region, Piedmont Region, Marche Region, Lombardy Region, Aosta Vlley Region, Trentino-South Tyrol Region, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, Liguria Region
• San Marino: whole country
• Swiss Confederation: Canton of Ticino, Canton of Basel-Stadt
• Spain: Chartered Community of Navarre, Basque Autonomous Community, Community of Madrid, La Rioja
• Iceland: whole country
• Foreigners who have Chinese passports issued in Hubei Province or Zhejiang Province in the People’s Republic of China.
• Foreigners who were on the cruise ship, Westerdam, departed from Hong Kong.

South Korea

On 4 Feb, Spark International advised:

For vessels arriving at Korean ports from or via China, the National Quarantine Station and related authorities have set up an enhanced screening measures for the crew onboard.

National Quarantine Station officers are boarding those vessels to check the body temperatures of each crew along with handing out questionnaires to be filled out personally by all crew members.

On 7 March Ins-Ship Aide Ltd advised:

• Generally, any delay or any problem from all open ports has not been lodged/reported yet.
• However, the quarantine inspection is getting strong and tight for all vessels,
  and particularly for the vessels coming from the Chinese ports.
• Additionally, the quarantine officers are checking the body temperature to all crew members and all visitors.
• In case of Pohang, the cargo operation was limited only to 0300 hours rather than 24 hours operation.
• At the one of Korean inland cities, Daegu, the COVID19 is getting worse,  but at the other Korean areas it is not bad with COVID19.
• Further, at the open and sea area, it is so safe from COVID19 and we are taking the mask in the room, office, bus, train and small/short space.
• Thus, we opine that the COVID19 in Korea is being under the controllable situation/condition.

Wilhelmsen agency advises:

• All vessels sailed out from Chinese port or have called any Chinese port for the past 14 days requires onboard quarantine inspection. Free pratique will only be granted after passing the inspection.
• The following crew/passenger are restricted to enter Korea
  1. All Chinese seafarers with passport issued in Hubei province is prohibited to enter Korea
  2. All valid Korean visa issued in Hubei province has temporarily lost its effect until further notice.
  3. All foreigners that have visited Hubei province in the past 14 days is prohibited to enter Korea.
  4. All foreigners transit without visa to Jeju Island in Korea has temporarily lost its effect
• All crews (Chinese, Filipino, Indian) who intend to join/disembark to/from the vessel in Korea are allowed to enter Korea require a VISA. Transit passengers without a VISA for Chinese and foreigners from China will not be allowed.
• Hong Kong and Macau are now designated as countries affected by Coronavirus. Fever monitoring of all crew and crew members of vessels arriving from Hong Kong and Macau and a concentrated quarantine inspection for all crews and passengers will be conducted.

The latest stats by city and province can be found here.

Malaysia

• Effective February 17 all respective companies must provide face masks, gloves and sanitizer to all personnel
• Effective February 18 all foreigners from affected countries are required to fill declaration form provided by Immigration Department
• Effective February 28 Not to Land (NTL) for all crews from Daegu, Cheongdon, Zhejiang, Hubei, Wuhan and Jiangsu, Lombardy, Veneto region. Crews that arrives at KUL Airport will be given a Health Alert Card which MUST be kept for the next 14 days Health Alert Card (HAC) issued by the MOH for passengers to declare their current state of health
• Effective March 2 documents (maritime declaration of health, voyage memo crew list) must be submitted to Port Health officer within 48 to 72 hrs before vessel arrival
• Effective March 9 all cruise vessels are barred from entry to Malaysian ports with immediate effect until further notice. Special entrance have been allocated for foreigners that arrived from affected country, screening will be done based on passport flight ticket.
• Effective March 16 cruise vessels can enter Malaysian Ports if in compliance with the terms as below
  • Disembarkation of crew which is seriously ill
  • To receive supplies (food, water, gas) and repair or maintenance work for the particular vessel
  • Disembarkation only for Malaysian Crew or Malaysian Nationality and should undergo health screening by Port Health prior to disembarkation
  • Vessel that has been or still on international waters but hasn’t visited any other ports nor done any crew change or visitors from previous port
  • Cruise vessel has permission to dock at international waters
• Effective March 17 all cruise vessel yachts are barred from entering Malaysian ports and availing of immigration facilities. Passenger ferries are restricted from bringing foreign visitors into Malaysia. No sign on sign off formalities are allowed during this period. Only barter trade cargo vessels that bring food supply will be allowed to enter. Cargo vessel crew can be given landing pass but not allowed to go out from port area.
• Effective 16 March all visitors (foreign and domestic) coming into Sarawak and returning Sarawakians will issued a 14 Day Stay Home Notice (SHN). Exemptions shall only be given by the State Health Department to those who required to travel under special circumstances (official and business duties).
• Johor (Pasir Gudang, Pengerang, Tanjung Pelepas, Tanjung Langsat) Screening will be conducted at berth Temporary stop for SIRE inspection on board vessel If it is urgent and compulsory, it must be done at anchorage (SIRE inspector embark/disembark at anchorage)
• Kuantan Screening process will conducted at berth by the Port Health
• Labuan Vessel with less than 14 days departure from affected country will be put on Status B (quarantine at Berth) or status C (quarantine at anchorage) Ship shore leave will be suspended for vessels with status B and C
• Lumut Screening will conducted at berth No shore leave will be given until further notice by Port Health
• Melaka Screening will be conducted at anchorage
• Penang Screening will be conducted at anchorage
• Port Dickson Screening will be conducted at anchorage
• Port Klang Screening will be conducted at berth If any crew with fever over 38°C. Port Health shall arrange to transport the crew for medical attention. For Northport, all personnel are required to go through body temperature screening before being allowed to enter Northport premises
• Sabah (Kota Kinabalu, Sipitang Sandakan, Lahad Datu Tawau) Health screening by Port Health is required for Any vessel calling from a foreign country. Screening will be conducted at anchorage. Action Taken On Arrival will be issued by Immigration to master via local agent before arrival of vessel NTL for all crews if vessel had called affected country regardless of number of days
• Sarawak (Bintulu Tanjung Manis) Petronas LNG Terminal will implement virtual loading for all vessels from affected countries (South Korea, Japan, Italy, Iran) No personnel is allowed to board the vessel
• All required documents should be submitted prior to vessel berthing
• Travel restriction for those who visited Japan, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Europe, United States of America and Brunei within past 14 days and must declare this to the Health Department.

Singapore

Since 24 January 2020, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has implemented temperature screening at all sea checkpoints, including ferry and cruise terminals, PSA terminals and Jurong Port, for inbound travelers.

PORT MARINE CIRCULAR NO. 16 OF 2020 (23 March)
National  Environment  Agency’s  (Port  Health  Office) requirements for  all  vessels  arriving Port  of  Singapore to  submit  the  Maritime Declaration of Health to the Port Health Office.

The master of the ship is recommended to implement the following additional precautionary measures.

1. Educate crew/passengers of the symptoms of COVID-19, which are:
   – Fever (i.e. temperature above 37.5 degree Celsius);
   – Runny nose;
   – Cough; and;
   – Shortness of breath
2. Carry out daily temperature checks for all crew/passengers at least twice daily;
3. Isolate unwell crew/passengers when his/her temperature is above 37.5 degree Celsius. The unwell crew/passengers should also wear a mask; and
4. Disinfect common areas and rooms in the vessel before arrival in Singapore. The disinfection may be conducted by the ship’s crew en-route to Singapore. You can refer to the Interim Guidelines for Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection of Areas Exposed to Confirmed Case(s) of COVID-19 in Non-Healthcare Premises issued by NEA for guidance on the disinfection protocols, if needed

PORT MARINE CIRCULAR NO. 17 OF 2020 (23 March)

From 23 March 2020, 2359 hours, all short-term visitors, from anywhere in the world, will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore. MPA will apply these additional precautionary measures to all vessels calling at the Port of Singapore.

The Port of Singapore remains open for cargo operations and marine services, including shipyard repairs.

With the application of the additional precautionary measures, crew and passengers on short-term visits will not be allowed to disembark in Singapore for the time being. Crew change in Singapore is also disallowed for the time being.

The National Environment Agency’s (NEA) Port Health requires all vessels arriving at Singapore to submit the Maritime Declaration of Health Form

PORT MARINE CIRCULAR NO. 18 OF 2020 (23 March)

MPA has taken the following enhanced measures for vessels arriving Singapore:

1. All crew members are advised to take their temperature twice daily;
2. All crew members are advised to maintain good hygiene in accommodation areas by cleaning frequently touched surfaces (e.g. desks, door handles, switches, telephones, etc).
3. Shipmasters should isolate unwell crew and passengers.
4. Shipmasters are required to report unwell crew/passengers to MPA and NEA’s Port Health Office (PHO) and make the necessary arrangements to seek medical attention.
5. Shipmasters should follow the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) guidance for disinfecting common areas and rooms.

All suspected cases of COVID-19 crew/passengers will be assessed and/or tested for COVID-19. If there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 on board any vessel, PHO will quarantine the vessel at a designated anchorage or wharf, and in consultation with MOH provide the quarantine requirements for the crew and passengers.

During the quarantine period, operations will not be allowed until the quarantine is lifted. If there is a need for any critical operation, PHO’s approval will be required and all persons working onboard will be required to don the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which may include surgical gowns, masks and gloves.

If there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 onboard vessels, there is no restriction on operations.

Spain

The Spanish Government has implemented the “State of Alarm”  – extendable depending on the evolution of the situation. Thus, the Spanish Government has established measures that can limit the circulation or presence of persons or vehicles at certain times and in certain places, amongst others. Port and logistic activities related to cargo vessels will continue. However, personal interaction with personnel from local companies (agents, stevedores, suppliers, etc.) can have certain restrictions; all in views to prevent the spread of the COVID – 19 and guarantee the health of local personnel and crew on board.

19 March: Port Authorities have informed that they have maintained with normality the operations that were previewed at their ports. Sanitary measures have been taken in order to minimize any risk of contagious by COVID -19. Crew changes are not allowed during the State Alarm period, at any of the Spanish Ports. 

If a change of crewmember has to be carried out due to medical reasons, immediate notification shall be made to agents so that the corresponding protocol be put in place by the Authorities.

23 March: Spain to prolong the State of Alarm two more weeks up and until 11 April 2020. 

There are restrictions to citizens’ movement who have to remain confined in their homes.  Border controls have been resumed with France and Portugal. International flights restricted and only Spanish residents and nationals are allowed in the country.  Cruise and passenger ships are restricted.

Ports are operating, loading and discharge of goods is on-going.  Stevedores and personnel attending onboard vessels have to take basic precautions such as the use of masks and keep a safety distance of 1.5 mts from each person in contact.

UK

Milford Haven – Dragon LNG have the following procedures in place with immediate effect:

• Ships agents to only board vessels if they need to have a face to face conversation with Master or for Cash to Master deliveries.
• The following personnel will not be allowed to transit the terminal or board the vessel
  • Company staff from shipping company
  • Surveyors, Class, P&I etc.
  • Service engineers attending non-critical ships equipment
  • Sire Inspectors and Auditors
• No crew changes will be allowed at Dragon LNG. Personnel will be allowed to sign off the vessel but no personnel will be allowed to join.
• Service engineers who need to attend for repair of critical ship systems will require a risk assessment to be carried out in conjunction with marine manager at Dragon LNG and the shipping company.
• Shore leave will be allowed.
• Ship welfare visits will not be allowed unless in an emergency and the Marine Manager will decide whether the Port Welfare Chaplin may visit onboard or will arrange a convenient location for a confidential meeting.

Government agencies visiting the vessel will only be allowed in an emergency or after completing a Coronavirus questionnaire.

US

California

Health authorities in most of the San Francisco Bay Area Counties issued an emergency order requiring most residents to remain at home.   Notwithstanding that Order, essential services –including shipping services – continue, largely as before.

Local agents continue to visit vessels at all California ports.
The San Francisco Bar Pilots continue to provide service to all bay area ports, including Oakland, SF, Sacramento, and Stockton.  The pilots have been requesting however that crews sanitize all rails and working surfaces in the pilot house prior to the pilot’s arrival.

The local Coast Guard has not imposed any restrictions beyond those discussed in MSIB 02-20 (released on March 16).

Delaware

MSIB 04-20 reminds of the following requirements:

• The master of a ship destined for the Delaware Bay Captain of the Port zone shall report to the CDC, the occurrence, on board, of any death or any ill person among passengers or crew (including those who have disembarked or have been removed) during the 15-day period preceding the date of expected arrival in accordance with 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CPR)§ 71.21. The CDC Philadelphia Station can be reached 24 hours a day at (215) 365-6401.
• Also, under 33 CPR. § 160.216, the owner, agent, master, operator, or person in charge of a vessel is required to immediately notify the nearest Coast Guard Sector whenever there is a hazardous condition aboard the vessel.
• While the presence of a person with coronavirus like symptoms does not by itself constitute a hazardous condition, vessel operators should report suspected cases or other unusual circumstances whenever they are in doubt.
• Vessel masters should inform Coast Guard and Customs boarding teams of any ill crewmembers onboard.

USA All Federal States

The USCG now considers any ill person onboard a vessel, regardless of where they have been or who they have interacted with, who show symptoms of COVID-19 or other flu like illness to be a hazardous condition as per 33 CFR 160.216. Accordingly, the owner, agent, master, operator, or person in charge must immediately notify the nearest Coast Guard Sector Office (Captain of the Port – COTP) or Group Office. U.S. Flag commercial vessels are advised to report ill crewmembers in accordance with the requirements of each foreign port called upon. As the Master is likely to be the first person in charge aware of an ill crewmember, we strongly recommend the Master to immediately notify the nearest USCG COTP as per above, in addition to the U.S. CDC immediate reporting requirements.

The CDC have issued interim guidance for ships.

USCG MSIB 02-20 (Change 3) dated March 16, 2020, which details the above USCG reporting requirement. It also covers the latest Presidential Proclamation restrictions on persons arriving to the USA, as well as other USCG guidance and information for vessel owners and operators.

New Orleans

According to MSIB XX-20, the USCG / COTP of New Orleans require:

Vessels calling within COTP sector will receive an email if the submitted ‘Notice of Arrival’ declares that the vessel has called to China within last five ports of call.

If any of the crew are exhibiting symptoms it must be reported as a ‘hazardous condition’ as defined in 33 CFR 160.216.

Failure to report the above can lead to a civil penalty of up to $94,219.

21 March: The day-to-day operations of maritime and port businesses can continue as normal, despite the Mayor of New Orleans issuing a “stay at home” proclamation for Orleans Parish. This is because maritime and port businesses are considered essential.

New York

Effective 0000 hours on March 17, 2020, CBP in conjunction with the United States Coast Guard have detained all foreign crew members arriving within 14 days from the following countries: Iran, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), United Kingdom, Ireland and European states within the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

CBP is requiring a guard presence to deter the absconding of detained crewmembers prior to inspection by our officers on the 15th day from their last port call in the affected countries listed above.  Every vessel that arrives into the Port of New York/ Newark that fits the criteria listed above will be contacted by CBP to ensure a proper security plan is in place prior to the vessel’s arrival.

CBP recognizes the hardship this may place on crewmembers however, this protocol is necessary to address the health concerns in our ports…  …For any questions or concerns please contact a Supervisory CBP Officer, Maritime Admissibility Unit, Port of New York/Newark at 201-436-2850 or e-mail MAU-NY-NWK@cbp.dhs.gov

India

• The master of a vessel, before arrival at its first port of call in India, shall ascertain the state of health of each person on board the vessel and submit the Maritime Declaration of Health to the concerned health authorities of the port and to the port authorities
• The Maritime Declaration of Health shall be forwarded at least 72 hours prior arrival of the vessel at the port.  If the voyage duration from last port of departure is less than 72 hours, the Maritime Declaration of Health shall be informed to the port immediately on departure from the port.  In addition, the information required by the local health authorities of the port like temperature chart, individual health declaration etc. shall also be provided by the master as per the directives of the local health authorities of the port.
• If the master of the vessel ascertains that a person on board the vessel is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, the same shall be explicitly mentioned in the Maritime Declaration of Health being forwarded to the health authorities and to the port.
• If the maritime declaration of health given by the master is found to be incorrect and not reflecting the factual conditions of health of persons on board the vessel, the master is liable to be prosecuted as per applicable laws.  All agents of the vessel shall ensure that this information regarding possible prosecution for incorrect declaration is clearly informed to the vessel before its arrival at Indian ports
• Vessels arriving from ports of infected countries identified for mandatory quarantine and travel ban by MoHFW, Govt. of India before 14 days of departure from the infected port, or having seafarers embarked on the vessel who have been in infected regions within 14 days of arrival at any Indian port shall need to comply with additional measures.   The updated list of infected countries may be obtained from the website of MoHFW, Govt. of India.
• Vessels arriving from any port in China to have the necessary quarantine period of 14 days.
• Stoppages of a vessel at any port of infected countries only for bunkering purposes shall not be counted for the calculation of 14 days from port of departure
• Pilot shall normally not be assigned to any vessel unless pratique is granted to the vessel.  Prior boarding the vessel, the master of the vessel shall reconfirm to the pilot that all persons on board the vessel are healthy and there are no suspected cases of persons infected by COVID-19 on board the vessel.  The master of the vessel shall also ensure that all the areas through which the pilot is likely to pass are appropriately disinfected and sanitized as per the required protocol and shall further confirm about the same to the pilot before the pilot boards the vessel.

All ships personnel who are likely to interact with the pilot should be wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  In addition, the bridge team shall be wearing appropriate PPE at all times while the pilot is on the vessel. Pilot shall also be wearing appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

Australia

The Australian Government has announced that all persons entering Australia must undertake a precautionary self-isolation period for 14 days upon entry to the country. This applies to any person entering Australia, including Australian citizens and permanent residents. Persons who are entering Australia for less than 14 days must self-isolate for the entire duration of their stay.

These measures apply to all people entering Australia including via aircraft and vessels. The travel restrictions for mainland China, Iran, the Republic of Korea and Italy remain in place for all travellers including maritime crew.

For all commercial vessels arriving from any port outside Australia:

• All vessel masters must answer health screening questions as part of their entry reporting.
• ABF and Biosecurity officers remain responsible for border clearance processes. Vessels that report ill persons with relevant symptoms will undergo a human health inspection by a Biosecurity Officer on arrival in Australia, and before the vessel is granted pratique.

Crew members on a vessel:

• All crew must remain on-board while the vessel is berthed in Australia.
• Crew are able to disembark to conduct vessel functions and crew must wear personal protective equipment while performing these functions.
• Crew must also use personal protective equipment in public spaces on board the vessel whilst non-crew members are on board.
• These restrictions apply until 14 days has elapsed since the vessel departed the last port before Australia, unless crew are unwell or there is a suspected case of COVID-19 on-board.
• The period maritime crew spend at sea prior to their arrival in Australia counts towards the 14-day period of self-isolation. In practice, if a vessel has travelled for ten days since last being in a foreign port, the period of precautionary self-isolation for its crew members would be the remaining four days.
• Once the 14 days has elapsed and provided all crew are well and there is no sign of illness in any crew member, crew are permitted to take shore leave.
• Where a crew member is signing off a vessel (within the 14 day period) and remaining in Australia they must self-isolate at their accommodation for the remainder of the 14 day self-isolation period.
• Crew members departing Australia may proceed directly to the airport and depart; or they must self-isolate at their accommodation until the time they proceed to the airport.

Crew travelling to Australia (by aircraft) to join a vessel must adhere to the following arrangements:

• On arrival in Australia crew may take a domestic flight/s to their final destination to meet their vessel but must self-isolate at their accommodation if they have a layover at any time.
• Crew must proceed directly to the vessel or their accommodation.
• If not joining the vessel immediately, crew must self-isolate at their accommodation.
• Once on the vessel, crew members may leave the vessel to undertake vessel functions and must wear personal protective equipment while performing these functions.
• International crew members joining a commercial vessel voyage are subject to a 14 day self-isolation period. Crew are permitted to transit through Australia but must remain in the port or airport, or self-isolate in accommodation for the duration of their transit. Crew must self-isolate at their final destination for the remainder of the 14 days.

Crew arriving in Australia are being urged to ensure they have a valid visa well ahead of their arrival, as the Department of Home Affairs Maritime Global Processing Centre (MGPC) will close for the Easter holiday from 4pm on Thursday 9 April until start of business on Tuesday 14 April. No Maritime Crew Visas (MCVs) will be processed during this period.

Applications for crew arriving in Australia on a vessel by sea should be lodged at least 14 days prior to departure from a port overseas in order to avoid any issues with delays to processing, crew travelling and/or arriving without visas, or associated punitive action.

This means applications should be lodged no later than Tuesday 24 March for crew intending to arrive in Australia from an overseas port between 9 and 14 April 2020.

The Australian Border Force will remain operational 24/7 basis over the holiday period.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, travel restrictions are in place for all travellers to Australia. For the latest information please click here.

These are the guidance from some of the most crucial and worst affected COVID19 countries in the world. For guidance on other countries please check out the list guidelines at https://www.nepia.com/industry-news/coronavirus-outbreak-impact-on-shipping/

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Source: Nepia