This information has been collated from a variety of maritime organisations and issued to shipping businesses. It is aimed to assist ships (including cargo vessels, ferries and cruise ships) and seaports in providing advice to staff on addressing coronavirus (COVID-19), on ships and in seaports.
Ships and seaports will collectively be referred to as a ‘marine setting’ in this guidance.
This guidance may be updated in line with the changing situation.
The main messages are:
- Before boarding the ship, crew and passengers should be asked if they have a new, continuous cough or a high temperature.
- If someone becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, they should be sent home or to their cabin.
- Everyone should be reminded to wash their hands for 20 seconds more frequently than normal.
- Crew and passengers should be given clear instructions on what to do if they develop symptoms and how and to whom they should report this.
- The Master of the Ship should notify the Port Health Authority about any suspected cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) as soon as possible, who will then inform the local Health Protection Team.
- Appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning of surfaces that a person with symptoms has come into contact with are key measures to stop the spread of the virus.
This is an example of a business response which we are sharing as part of our global best practice resource to help you think about and determine appropriate responses locally.
