The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Thursday (28 October) issued Port Marine Circular No. 40 of 2021 regarding Covid-19 health procedures for seafarers arriving at port: 

REQUIREMENTS FOR VESSELS ARRIVING IN THE PORT OF SINGAPORE DURING COVID-19

This circular supersedes Port Marine Circular No. 31 of 2021. 

Owners, agents and masters of vessels arriving in the Port of Singapore are reminded of their responsibility to implement and comply with all prevailing requirements and measures of the Singapore authorities to reduce the risk of COVID19 transmission in Singapore, in particular safe management measures directly applicable to vessels in the Port of Singapore. 

Owners, agents and masters of vessels must ensure that all operations (e.g. cargo operations, bunkering, ship’s supplies and stores, and other marine services) are carried out contactless or contactless with segregation protocol (see below). 

• Contactless operation means no boarding of the vessel by any person other than MPA-licensed harbour pilots, authorised government officers, and persons approved by the Port Master of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
• Contactless operation with segregation protocol means that enhanced safe management measures must be implemented to minimise interaction between the vessel’s crew and shore-based personnel.

Please refer to ANNEX A for details on contactless operations and contactless operations with segregation protocols.

The owner, agent or master of the vessel in port must establish and apply procedures and adequate controls to ensure the safety of shore-based personnel and the vessel’s crew. 

Please refer to ANNEX B for the requirements for enterprises with shore-based personnel boarding vessels at anchorages, shipyards, terminals and marinas in the Port of Singapore. Failure to comply with the requirements may result in a breach of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) Regulations or the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.

All vessel’s crew must comply with the following while in the Port of Singapore:

• Wear a mask at all times (unless the work activity requires that no mask be worn)
• As far as is reasonably practicable, keep a distance of at least one metre apart from each other;
• Take and record temperature twice daily
• Observe good personal hygiene by washing hands regularly and refrain from touching face; and 
• Maintain good hygiene in the vessel’s accommodation areas by cleaning frequently touched surfaces (e.g. desk, chart tables, dining tables, bridge/engine room consoles, door handles, handholds, switches, telephones/VHF handsets, faucets).

If any of the vessel crew took COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test at their last port of call, the owner, master or agent of the vessel shall ensure that the PCR test results are submitted to MPA before the vessel arrives in the Port of Singapore (see below):

• If PCR tests were taken for crew change purposes, submit results to [email protected].
• If PCR tests were taken for all other purposes, submit PCR test results to [email protected].

For queries related to the following matters please contact:

• On Rostered Routine Testing and/or Antigen Rapid Test matters. Email [email protected] or call 1800-272-7777.
• Clarification on this circular. Email [email protected] or call 6325- 2488/2489

Note: A link to the complete document including ANNEX A and ANNEX B can be found here.

 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 29 October, 2021