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Following the resurgence of COVID-19 cases across the world, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) recommends owners, managers and agents to adopt additional precautionary measures when carrying out crew changes on Singapore-registered ships. This circular contains a non-exhaustive list of the best practices for conducting crew change. In addition to any foreign port’s crew change requirements, MPA strongly encourages all relevant parties to adopt these practices.
SIGNING-OFF CREW
a) The crew concerned should not have gone ashore in the last 14 days prior to disembarkation and has been well throughout this period.
b) The crew should be medically certified to be fit-for-travel by a medical doctor within 24 hours prior to disembarkation.
SIGNING-ON CREW
Isolation period
Due to the incubation period of the COVID-19, signing-on crew is recommended toobserve a 14-day isolation period with the following measures in place:
a) The crew should remain in his/her place of residence at all times during theisolation period.
b) The crew should not leave his/her place of residence at all times, even if it is topurchase food and essentials. If necessary, the crew may opt for home deliveryservices or enlist the assistance of others for his/her daily necessities.
c) The crew should avoid interaction with household members.
d) If sharing a house with others, the crew should stay isolated in his/her ownroom and with a dedicated toilet.
e) The crew should monitor his/her health closely, i.e. twice daily for fever (i.e. ≥38°C) and respiratory symptoms such as cough and breathlessness. The crew shall maintain a temperature log, which may be provided to relevant authoritiesupon completion of the 14-days isolation period.
f) Should there be any delays in departure flight, the crew should continue toserve his/her isolation until he/she departs his/her country.
Place of residence
a) The agent should be aware of the crew’s place of residence and the number of household members there are.
b) If there are other household members, the agent should ensure that the crew has a room with a toilet of his/her own for self-isolation.
c) If (b) is not achievable, the company should find an appropriate isolation facility for the crew during this period.
Periodical monitoring of crew serving isolation
a) The agent handling the crew sign-on is recommended to conduct daily randomsampling checks – ensuring that the crew is in isolation. A log of the checks should be maintained.
b) The crew should maintain a log of his/her daily temperature readings.
Transfer arrangement for medical purposes during isolation
a) The crew should be transferred directly between the place of residence and medical clinic. There shall be no detour or stopovers in the transfer.
b) Public transport should not be used for this transfer. Invoices or receipts for private hired vehicle(s) can be used to show that the crew concerned has not been exposed to the general public.
c) The crew should wear a face mask at all times and observe social distancing.
COVID-19 PCR test and Fit to Travel test
a) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) type test should be the default type of test for COVID-19.
b) Bio-samples for the PCR test should be drawn not more than 48 hours prior to the crew’s departure flight. Laboratory reports for the PCR test should indicate the sample drawn date and time.
c) The crew should be medically certified to be fit-for-travel by a medical doctor within 24 hours prior to departure flight.
Transfer arrangements for flight departure
a) The crew should be transferred directly between the place of residence and the point of departure. There shall be no detour or stopovers in the journey.
b) Public transport shall not be used for the transfer. Invoices or receipts for private hired vehicle(s) can be used to show that the crew concerned has not been exposed to the general public.
c) The crew should wear a face mask at all times and observe social distancing.
As a general practice, all crew should be reminded to practise good hygiene on board and monitor their health.
In the event that any crew on board is suspected to be carrying COVID-19, MPA and the competent authority of ship’s next port of call should be informed. If the ship is already in port, it should not depart from the port until the COVID-19 test results are available. This ensures that any suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infected crew gets proper medical attention.
(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Singapore, contact GAC Singapore at [email protected])
Source: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Shipping Circular No.14 of 2020 dated 24 July 2020