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• Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, operational considerations have been issued by IMO for managing COVID-19 cases/outbreak on board ships.

• In light of the gravity of situation and considering that isolation is the most important way to prevent the spread of the virus, DG shipping, India has issued DGS order 02 of 2020 to provide instructions on dealing with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that are required to be complied by all stakeholders such as shipping companies & ships, RPS providers, Maritime Training Institute, Seafarers etc.

• Salient points of the instructions are as follows:
       
  1. Shipping Companies & Ships:
     
     
     • All Indian Ships are advised to develop a disease outbreak management plan for dealing with outbreak taking into consideration the interim guidance issued by World Health Organization (WHO). While developing the plan, vessels may consider using the hospitals onboard the ships for isolating suspected cases until they are disembarked and transferred to a healthcare facility. Also, adequate protocols need to be developed for managing suspected cases on the vessel including clinical management, cleaning and disinfections of possible contaminated areas etc.

      

     • The plan may also need to include provisions regarding pre-boarding procedures, screening procedures, educating crew on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease, reporting procedures etc. In addition, garbage required to be landed ashore from vessels may need to be properly disinfected to ensure that there is no possibility of transmission of the COVID-19 disease form the landed garbage.
       
       
  2. Recruitment and Placement Services (RPS) providers
     
     
     • All recruitment and placement services (RPS) providers are required to ensure that the requirement of physical presence of seafarers in their offices for the purpose of seafarers’ sign-on and sign-off from ships are kept to the minimum.

      

     • All RPS providers may consider using online means like video conferencing etc. for briefing and de-briefing purpose to the extent possible.
       
       
  3. Seafarers
     
     
     • All seafarers need to avoid availing shore leave in infected regions and consider the risks involved before desiring to go ashore in other regions. Availing shore leave during the pandemic may need to be avoided and used only in exigencies with necessary precautions.

      

     • Seafarers who have travelled abroad to infected regions are advised to self-quarantine immediately on arrival in India for at least a period of 14 days.
       
       

• Owners/operators and RPS providers are advised to take note of above and be guided by the attached DGS order for detailed instructions.

Enclosure:

• DG Shipping India, DGS order 02 of 2020

Disclaimer:

This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any person. While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority.

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