In a major development, WHO has announced major operational considerations including a basic questionnaire for people boarding ships, in order to tackle coronavirus infections onboard ships.
Shippers, crews and shipowners are asked to strictly follow these instructions.
What does the circular say?
This document has been prepared based on current evidence about the transmission of 2019 coronavirus (previously named 2019-nCoV, now designated COVID-19) disease − that is, human-to-human transmission via respiratory droplets or direct contact with an infected individual.
It is recommended that this guidance be used with the World Health Organization (WHO)
Handbook for the management of public health events onboard ships.
How is it intended for?
The target audience for this document is any authority involved in the public health response to a COVID-19 public health event on board a ship, including International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Points (NFPs), port health authorities, and local, provincial and national health surveillance and response systems, as well as port operators and ship operators.
The outbreak management plan for COVID-19 disease
Passenger ships sailing on an international voyage are advised to develop a written plan for
disease outbreak management that covers the definitions of a suspected case of COVID-19
disease, the definition of close contacts and an isolation plan.
The outbreak management plan should include descriptions of the following:
• the location or locations where suspected cases will be isolated individually until
disembarkation and transfer to a healthcare facility;
• how the necessary communications between departments (for example, medical,
housekeeping, laundry, room service) about persons in isolation will be managed;
• the clinical management of suspected cases while they remain on board;
• cleaning and disinfection procedures for potentially contaminated areas, including
the isolation cabins or areas;
• how close contacts of the suspected case will be managed;
• procedures to collect Passenger/Crew Locator Forms (PLF);
• how food service and utensils, waste management services and laundry will be
provided to the isolated travellers.
Staff on board should have knowledge of the outbreak management plan and should
implement it as required.
Prior to boarding Guidelines
Pre-boarding information
Passengers and crew members should receive information in accordance with WHO’s advice
for international traffic in relation to the outbreak of COVID-19 disease. This advice and
guidance is available at https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus.
Pre-disembarkation information
Until the termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency of international concern is
declared, it is recommended that all passengers and crew members complete their PLF, and
this should be kept on board for at least 1 month after their disembarkation. Information in
the completed PLF should be provided upon request to health authorities to facilitate contact tracing if a confirmed case is detected after disembarkation or after the voyage has ended.
Pre-boarding screening
Until the termination of the COVID-19 outbreak, passenger ships on an international voyage are advised to provide passengers with general information on COVID-19 disease and preventive measures and to implement pre-boarding screening with the purpose of deferring or rescheduling the boarding of any traveller identified through a questionnaire (Annex 1) as being a close contact of someone with COVID-19 disease to ensure proper management by port health authorities.
A contact is a person involved in any of the following:
• providing direct care to a patient with COVID-19 disease, visiting patients or staying
in the same environment as a COVID-19 patient;
• working in close proximity to or sharing a cabin or room with a patient with COVID-19
disease;
• traveling with a COVID-19 patient in any kind of conveyance;
• living in the same household as a patient with COVID-19 disease within 14 days after
the patient’s onset of symptoms
Shipowners Education & Awareness Guidance
- Ship owners should provide guidance to the crew about how to recognize the signs and
symptoms of COVID-19 disease. - Crew should be reminded of the procedures that are to be followed when a passenger or a
crew member on board displays signs and symptoms indicative of acute respiratory disease. Country-specific guidance for crew members about prevention measures may be available, such as that at https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/maritime/recommendations-for-ships.html - Additional guidance is available in WHO’s interim guidance about home care for patients with suspected COVID-19 infection who have mild symptoms and how to manage their contacts and about the use of medical masks
- Healthcare staff on board ships should be informed and updated about the outbreak of
COVID-19 disease and any new evidence and guidance available for healthcare staff. - WHO’s updated information is available at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance
For information take a look at the full circular https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHO-Operational-considerations-for-managing-COVID-19-cases-and-outbreaks-on-board-ships-2020_02.pdf
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Source: WHO
