23 Apr 2020  |   05:40am IST

DG Shipping issues sign off protocol for seafarers

DG Shipping issues sign off protocol for seafarers

Team Herald


PANJIM: Almost 22 hours after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for seafarers’ sign in and sign off, the Director General (Shipping) issued its protocol for disembarkation of Goan seafarers from three ships off Mumbai coast.

The protocol issued by Director General Shipping Amitabh Kumar is on similar lines to that issued by MHA on Tuesday.

The sign-off guidelines say the master of a vessel, before arrival at its port of call in India, shall ascertain the state of health of each person on board the vessel and submit the Maritime Declaration of Health to the health authorities of the port and to the port authorities. 

In addition, it says, the information required by the local health authorities of the port, like temperature chart, individual health declaration shall be provided by the master as per the directives of the health authorities of the port. Port health authorities shall grant pratique to the vessel prior to berthing as per necessary health protocols.

“Seafarer to wear necessary PPE (masks, hand gloves) on arrival, seafarer will be cleared by immigration authority and would undergo the COVID-19 test to confirm that he/she is negative of COVID-19,” the protocol says. 

Further, it adds, after disembarking and till the time the seafarer reaches the facility for sample collection/testing to be mutually decided by the port and State government, within port premises, it will be ensured by the shipowner/RPS that all safety precautions as per standard health protocol are observed.

“Till the time test reports are received, the seafarer shall be kept under quarantine facility approved by the port and State health authorities. If the seafarer is tested ‘positive’ for COVlD-19, he/she will be dealt with as per the procedures laid down by MoHFW. Seafarer arriving on a vessel from any foreign port within 14 days of departure from foreign port shall be kept in quarantine for 14 days. On completion of 14 days, he shall undergo a COVID-19 test to confirm ‘negative’ test, the protocol states.

Further, it says, upon a seafarer testing ‘negative’, the ship owner/RPS agency to identify seafarer’s travel route post sign-off, details of vehicle and driver have to be uploaded on DGS website ‘e-pass for seafarers link’ for generation pass, if needed, details of seafarer as per Form I/IIIA are to be uploaded on DGS website.



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