Hot Port News from GAC
23-Apr-2020
PARTIAL LOCKDOWN LIFTED
Tema & Takoradi, Ghana
PORT TESTS SMART BRACELET TO PREVENT CORONA INFECTION
Antwerp, Belgium
GUARANTEES FOR DAYLIGHT TRANSIT SERVICE REQUESTS
Panama Canal, Panama
COVID-19 PREVENTIVE MEASURES & GUIDELINES
Limassol, Cyprus
GENERAL HOLIDAY EXTENDED UNTIL 5 MAY
Bangladesh
Partial lockdown lifted
Thursday, April 23, 2020, Tema & Takoradi, Ghana
Following the lifting of the partial lockdown earlier this week, both Tema & Takoradi ports are currently operating.
Movement of people is still not permitted.
(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Ghana, contact the GAC Dubai Hub Agency Centre at hub.ae@gac.com)
Source: OMA Group, Ghana – GAC agent
Port tests smart bracelet to prevent corona infection
Thursday, April 23, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium
Port of Antwerp is teaming up with the tech company Rombit to prevent corona infection on the workfloor. Rombit has developed the Romware Covid Radius, a digital bracelet that ensures social distancing and permits contact tracing. Port of Antwerp will be the first to use this innovative bracelet…
…This will help employees to observe the strict precautions laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO) while respecting the privacy of the wearer… …Port of Antwerp will be the first to make use of the Covid functions.
The new Covid bracelet is aimed in the first place at social distancing. Whenever employees come too close to one another they first get a warning signal. However privacy is guaranteed: the Covid Wearable never passes on the location or other sensitive information to the employer.
At the same time the bracelet permits contact tracing: if someone happens to be infected then a health advisor or trusted confidant can check which work colleagues the person has come in contact with, in order to prevent further infection…
(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Belgium, contact GAC Belgium at agency.antwerp@gac.com)
Source: Excerpts from Port of Antwerp (www.portofantwerp.com) update dated 20 April 2020
Guarantees for daylight transit service requests
Thursday, April 23, 2020, Panama Canal, Panama
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announces that, effective May 1, 2020, the following will apply to vessels requesting a Daylight Transit Service through the Canal:
If the request is made at the time of submitting their booking application, vessels are required to place a guarantee that covers both the Booking fee and the Daylight Transit Service fee within the time allowed.
If the request is made after their booking slot has already been awarded and their booking guarantee has been received, vessels shall place the guarantee for the Daylight Transit Service in order for the request to be accepted.
If the request is submitted during the 3rd Booking Period, the vessel will not be required to place a guarantee for the service in order to be accepted, and will be charged for the service at the time of the vessel’s transit.
Similarly, vessels that already have a Daylight Transit Service confirmed by the ACP prior to the effective date of this advisory will be charged for the service at the time of the vessel´s transit.
(For information about operations in the Panama Canal, contact GAC Panama at operations.panama@gac.com)
Source: Panama Canal Authority Advisory To Shipping No. A-16-2020
COVID-19 preventive measures & guidelines
Thursday, April 23, 2020, Limassol, Cyprus
As per the restrictive measures imposed by Cyprus Ports Authority, the following measures are currently applied strictly at New Limassol Port until further notice:
Disembarkation of passengers from cruise vessels is prohibited.
Any crew change or crew disembarkation either in or out of port irrespective of type of vessel is prohibited.
In case that vessel crew needs to conduct inspections that require its members to disembark, this is only allowed given that:
– Only one member of vessel crew will disembark;
– Inspection will be short in time; and
– Corresponding agent has already notified accordingly DP World Limassol in order to remove staff operating at the vicinity and Ports & Marine Police in order its members to monitor the process until its completion.
Vessel maintenance works (i.e. painting, washing, etc.) that needs to be conducted from quay are prohibited.
Navy vessel: Entry to port is allowed following Notam Verbatim but disembarkation of crews is prohibited.
UNIFIL: No restriction of members of administration members that are based at the shore facilities of the port. As for the crew members of UNIFIL vessels their disembarkation is prohibited as well as their entry to inland of the country.
In case of medical emergency incident regarding passenger or crew member on board vessel, either at anchorage area or in the port, shipping agents exceptionally and only due to the medical incident will be eligible to proceed to the appropriate arrangements only following consultation with Medical Services that will take over the transportation and treatment of patient.
No one is allowed to embark on any vessel for any reason apart of conducting activities related to cargo operations and by not having any interaction with crew members while vessel Master is obliged to retreat/isolate crew under his command.
Specifically, entities allowed to embark vessels are the following:
– Stevedores / United Stevedoring Company’s staff
– Lashers / Un-lashers
– Surveyors (embarkation allowed only for conducting operations monitoring activities – administrational tasks must take place remotely)
– In these cases, embarkation is only allowed following isolation of crew at the accommodation of the vessel declared in writing to DP World Limassol by corresponding agent.
Provisions/Supplies: As per Medical & Public Health Services guidelines, crew must remain isolated in accommodation. Vessel Master carries the responsibility to verify to DP World Limassol via the corresponding agent that there won’t be any interaction between the crew members and shore staff. It’s taken for granted that the providers/vendors/ staff must place provisions along quay near the receipt point to be indicated and following their departure the crew will be allowed to receive provisions. This to be confirmed by the on-duty officer of Marine& Ports Police who will be supervising the area.
Private entities active at terminal are allowed to operate given that they fully abide to the guidelines of Ministry of Health.
Anyone entering port for work must abide strictly to the guidelines of the Medical Services.
The responsibility for the strict implementation of the measures is carried by the Port & Marine Police and the Immigration Service.
ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN FOLLOWING CONFIRMED COVID-19 INFECTION
In case that confirmed COVID-19 infection case(s) emerge at any working area, the activities at the specific area/space must be immediately suspended and area disinfection process must take place prior relaunching of activities.
All staff members working at the specific area must be removed until the completion of the disinfection process. Specific materials must be used for the disinfection by certified disinfection services providers as per corresponding guidelines. Following disinfection area must not be accessible for at least 3 hours and following that the space must be ventilated for approximately 30 minutes prior staff entry. Staff members who had direct contact with infected person(s), as these will be defined via the tracing process to be applied by Authorities, must not attend at working area and will be set in quarantine.
Any person who MUST REMAIN UNDER QUARANTINE or SELF-ISOLATION, as per current guidelines issued by Ministry of Health, WILL NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER DP WORLD LIMASSOL TERMINAL. In any case that this will be attempted the intervention of Ports & Marine Police will be immediately requested…
Abide to basic hygiene rules and avoid as much as possible close contact.
Obligatory use of protective masks is applied by DP World Limassol staff excluding cases of isolated work. Use of masks is strongly advised to all terminal users. The main goal of masks use is to minimize the area around an infected person, who most probably doesn’t suffer any of COVID-19 symptoms, where droplets are emitted via coughing, sneezing or speaking loudly.
Terminal users/visitors may need to go through proactive forehead temperature measurement, using non-contact thermometer, by DP World Limassol Security team prior entry to terminal at Main Gate.
As for aforementioned process to be applied at working areas in case of confirmed COVID-19 infection, it must be noted that the tracing process by authorities may last much longer than the timeframe of working area isolation/disinfection/ventilation, and therefore it is advised by DP World Limassol that the management of entity operating at specific space(s) must conduct a preliminary tracing process in order to minimize the probability of any potentially infected co-worker(s) attending at working space prior completion of tracing process to be applied by Authorities.
Applications for acceptance of visitors at DP World Limassol terminal will be processed given that the corresponding Visitor Application COVID-19 form (attached) has been adequately filled, signed off by the entity applying on behalf of visitor and forwarded to DP World Limassol & Cyprus Ports Authority as per standing procedure.
(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Cyprus, contact GAC Cyprus at cyprus@gac.com)
Source: Multipurpose Port Operator, DP World Limassol update
General Holiday extended until 5 May
Thursday, April 23, 2020, Bangladesh
Due to the COPVID-19 pandemic, the Bangladesh Government has extended the ‘General Holiday’ and decided to shut down all government, public and private offices until 5 May. This may be further extended, depending on the developing situation.
Chattogram and Mongla Port Authorities are working during the holiday.
Chittagong Port Authority has advised:
Vessels sailing from China need to wait at least 16 days starting from the sailing date of China to berth at Chittagong Port.
Every vessel Master must give one declaration of Corona Virus as per CPA format.
No shore pass shall be given to vessel crew.
Restrictions in the issuance of Gate Pass to foreigners.
The Port Authority is trying to arrange online berthing meetings to avoid physical presence.
(For information about operations in Bangladesh, contact the GAC Dubai Hub Agency Centre at hub.ae@gac.com)
Source: Uni-Global Business Ltd, Bangladesh – GAC agent
