Circular No. 4204/Add.23 Recommendations for port State and coastal State authorities regarding the prompt disembarkation of seafarers for medical care ashore during the COVID-19 pandemic.
INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
4 ALBERT EMBANKMENT, LONDRES SE1 7SR
Telephone: +44(0)20 7735 7611 | Facsimil: +44(0)20 7587 3210
Circular nº 4204/Add.23
1 July 2020
Subject: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Recommendations for port States and coastal States regarding the prompt disembarkation of seafarers for medical care ashore during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Secretary-General is aware that one of the many challenges facing international shipping during the COVID-19 pandemic is the organization of seafarers’ access to medical care ashore. Addressing this challenge requires the relevant authorities of port States and coastal States to fulfill their obligations under the relevant international regulations and to collaborate with ships to protect the health of seafarers and the general public, in order to ensure the continued operation, as necessary, of global supply chains during this pandemic.
Operational recommendations
When a ship notifies that a seafarer requires medical care ashore and it is not suspected to be a case of COVID-19, port State or coastal State authorities are recommended to take the following measures:
| Number | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| .1 | Allow ship operations to commence and proceed as planned and in accordance with the relevant port or terminal procedures. |
| .2 | Require all shore-based personnel who may interact with the ship or go on board for operational purposes (e.g., stevedores, etc.) to wear appropriate PPE and comply with applicable infection prevention and control measures. |
| .3 | Allow all seafarers receiving medical care ashore to remain and receive care or recover in the medical or other facility, prior to being duly repatriated by the shipowner, and allow the ship to depart and proceed on its voyage (subject, as appropriate, to the ship receiving a dispensation from its flag State). |
