BIMCO COVID 19 weekly report
Overview
The BIMCO Maritime Information department informs members on a weekly basis, updates about the COVID-19 in relation to implementation measures imposed by governments for sea transport including for crew change as well as from the United Nation bodies like the International Maritime Organization (IMO), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO).
BIMCO provides the following update for this week ending Friday, 6 August 2021.
1. IMO
The below represent information from the IMO.
No changes to the below status of designation of Seafarers as keyworkers:
2. IMO Crew Change - National Focal Point for Crew Change and Repatriation of Seafarers
As per our BIMCO news of 12th April, the IMO has discontinued the issue of the IMO circular in series: MSC.7/circ. 1 relating to government states informing the IMO of their national focal point for crew change and repatriation of seafarers. Instead, the IMO's online Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) will be used to contain such information.
According to GISIS today, the list of countries (45) informing the IMO of their national focal point of contact for crew change and repatriation of seafarers are: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the Cook Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Montenegro, Myanmar, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore , Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand , Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Vanuatu.
Earlier reference of the MSC.7/circ.1 : our implementation page.
3. Government States
Australia
6 August - Western Australia(WA) could start turning away international cargo ships and ban companies from entering the state’s ports if they knowingly or recklessly bring in COVID-infected crew.
WA reserve the right to stop that ship from coming in, we also reserve the right to stop ships from that country coming into WA. A temporary ban on vessels or ships that have been through higher risk ports is something that may also need to be put in place. If particular shipping companies are not meeting the required standards, they could also be banned from granting permission to berth at a WA port.
The rules (not published yet) put the responsibility on shipping companies to make sure:
- There are no crew changes in high-risk countries
- that anyone who goes onto a ship in a high-risk country wear appropriate personal protective equipment
- there is PCR testing of maritime workers who board the ship in a high-risk country
- there is testing of whole crews on arrival in high-risk locations and before entering WA waters
- all crew members disembarking in WA from a higher risk location are vaccinated.
Belgium
29 July - IMO Circular Letter No.4255/Add.2 Belgium starts campaign to vaccinate foreign seafarers
Canada
The Netherlands
Pakistan
Philippines
Tanzania
4. Others
5. BIMCO
BIMCO General COVID-19 Links
BIMCO is continuously monitoring COVID-19 restrictions and its impact on the shipping industry in particular on crew changes. Below are some of the type of information currently being provided by BIMCO :
- Details about implementation measures imposed for sea transport
- Overview of challenges to crew mobility
- Overview of extensions and exceptions to seafarers' certificates
- COVID-19 seafarers' mental health
You can also view all information on our COVID-19 landing page.
Feedback or a question about this information?
Posted:
06 August 2021
VPS Bunker Alerts
Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) publish regular Bunker Alerts based entirely on fuel samples and have kindly permitted BIMCO’s Members to access this information.
The Bunker Alerts are not intended to be an evaluation of overall bunker quality in the port or area concerned, but usually highlight a specific parameter within the fuel which has raised a quality issue.
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