Hot Port News from GAC
22-Jul-2020
CREW CHANGE OF FOREIGNERS NOT PERMITTED AT OUTER ANCHORAGE
Cochin, India
TWO-WEEK LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCED
Grand Bahama, Bahamas
CREW VISAS NOW AVAILABLE
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
EXPORT OF COPPER, ALUMINUM & CARDBOARD/CARTON SCRAP STOPPED
Qatar
STRICT ADHERENCE TO STAY-HOME-NOTICE FOR CREW CHANGES
Singapore
AMENDMENT TO PROTOCOL FOR REPATRIATION OF INDIAN SEAFARERS
India
LOCKDOWN NOTICE
West Bengal, India
REDUCED APPROACH CHANNEL DRAFT
New Mangalore, India
CANAL DUES SUSPENDED
Kiel Canal, Germany
Crew change of foreigners not permitted at outer anchorage
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, Cochin, India
The Bureau of Immigration at Cochin Seaport is not facilitating crew change of foreigners at the outer anchorage. Such crew changes are only permitted for vessels berthed alongside.
For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in India, contact GAC India at india@gac.com
Two-week lockdown announced
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, Grand Bahama, Bahamas
Due to the recent increase in COVID 19 cases in the Bahamas, Grand Bahama will be placed on a two-week lockdown to slow and control the community spread.
This lockdown will take effect from 18:00 hours local time tomorrow (Thursday 23 July) until 05:00 hours local time on Friday 7 August.
The port of Freeport, Grand Bahama remains open for business, i.e., Buckeye, Bahama Rock, Freeport Container Port (FCP), Offshore bunkering, Offshore Lightering. GAC’s agent in the Bahamas, Elnet Maritime has been exempted and will continue business.
Grand Bahama’s domestic borders closed at 18:00 hours yesterday (21 July) for all incoming and outgoing flights. Its international borders will close to all incoming and outgoing flights and sea vessels to and from Grand Bahama, except for emergencies and to transport essential services and goods, from today, 22 July.
(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in the Bahamas, contact the GAC Houston Hub Agency Center at hub.us@gac.com)
Source: Elnet Maritime – GAC agent
Crew visas now available
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
96-hour crew visas are now available in Dubai for both signing-on and signing-off crew.
For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Dubai, contact GAC Dubai at dubai@gac.com
Export of copper, aluminum & cardboard/carton scrap stopped
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, Qatar
Qatar’s General Authority of Customs has issued a notification instructing Customs Clearance representatives to immediately stop submitting or creating any Export Customs Declarations that contain copper, aluminum, and cardboard/carton scraps.
For further details and information about operations in Qatar, contact GAC Qatar at qatar@gac.com
Strict adherence to Stay-Home-Notice for crew changes
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, Singapore
From our recent investigations and sampling checks, we found that there has been an increasing number of breaches with regard to the sign-on crew’s compliance with the Stay-Home-Notice (SHN) advisory.
Some breaches include:
a) Sign-on crew commencing their travel to Singapore on the 13th/14th day of their SHN, hence not fulfilling the 14-days SHN at their home country.
b) Sign-on leaving their place of residence to do non-essential activities while serving their 14-days SHN such as shifting of cars, retail shopping, dining out, etc.
c) Failure to avoid interaction with household members.
d) Failure to isolate in an individual room and use a dedicated toilet.
The above listed examples are contraventions of our requirements and poses a serious risk to the public health of Singapore…
…Separately, we have also received submissions of fraudulent and dubious documents such as post-dated COVID-19 PCR test reports and edited crew self-declaration reports.
Any breach of Singapore’s crew change requirements and procedures may lead to the revocation and/or suspension of crew change applications permanently or for a specified period for your company and/or the industry.
(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Singapore, contact GAC Singapore at singapore@gac.com)
Source: Notification from Maritime Port Authority (MPA) dated 22 July 2020
Amendment to protocol for repatriation of Indian seafarers
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, India
The Ministry of Home Affairs’, Govt. of India vide Order No.40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated 21.04.2020 by Sub-Clause (iii) under Clause 17 had included the movement of persons to allow sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers at Indian ports and their movement for the aforesaid purpose as per the Standard Operating Procedures / Protocols (SOP). The SOP has also noted that DG (Shipping) will prescribe the detailed protocol with regard to sign-on and sign-off to be followed.
Accordingly, the Directorate had issued DGS Order No. 12 of 2020 dated 22.04.2020 prescribing the Standard Operating Procedures / Protocols (SOP) for controlled crew change of Indian seafarers at Indian ports and also Addendum No. 1 to DGS Order No. 12 of 2020 dated 06.05.2020 for controlled crew change at anchorages within port limits to facilitate and regulate crew change for seafarers so that the safe environment on the ship is not compromised or no contamination is brought from ship to shore.
Whereas, in the said DGS Order para 5(2)(7) has prescribed that seafarer arriving on a vessel from any foreign port within 14 days of departure from foreign port shall be kept in quarantine for a total of 14 days from the date of departure from the last foreign port at a facility approved by the Port or State authority. On completion of 14 days, he shall undergo a COVID-I9 test to confirm ‘negative’ test.
Whereas, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Govt. of India has issued guidelines dated 25.05.2020 for International arrivals, wherein para (i) states that travellers arriving would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days – 07 days paid institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by 07 days isolation at home with self-monitoring of health. Also, para (ii) mentions that only for exceptional and compelling reasons such as cases of human distress, pregnancy, death in family, serious illness and parent(s) accompanied by children below 10 years, as assessed by the receiving states, home quarantine may be permitted for 14 days and use of Aarogya Setu app shall be mandatory in such cases.
In view of the foregoing paragraph, the Directorate prescribes amendment to the DGS Order 12 of 2020 and to its addendums clarifying the following:
a) Seafarers arriving on a vessel from any foreign port shall be kept in institutional quarantine for a total of 07 days. The period of 07 days of institutional quarantine shall include the period spent onboard ship from the date of departure from the last port of call. The quarantine facilities shall be approved by the Port or State authority.
b) The period of stay on board a ship from last port of call shall be treated as period spent on quarantine, only if the health records of all the seafarers are properly maintained and no crew member of the ship has been tested COBID-19 ‘positive’.
c) On completion of 07 days, the seafarer shall undergo a CPVID-19 test to confirm ‘negative’ and be allowed to be followed by 07 days isolation at home with self-monitoring of health.
d) For the crew tested as CPVID-19 ‘positive’, the standard protocols as prescribed by MoHFW, Government of India of COVID-19 patients shall apply.
(For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in India, contact GAC India at india@gac.com)
Source: Director General of Shipping, Amendment to DGS Order No.12 of 2020
Lockdown notice
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, West Bengal, India
West Bengal State Government has announced that a state-wide lockdown will be observed on Thursday 23 July, Saturday 25 July and Wednesday 29 July, from 6am to 10pm on each day.
During the lockdown on these days, all government and private offices, commercial establishments, public and private transport and all activities not covered under exemptions as below shall remain closed:
Health services including movement of health personnel/patients by public and private transport
Medicine shops and pharmacies
Law and order, courts, correctional services, fire and emergency services
Electricity, water and conservancy services
Continuous process industries and industries with in-house workers
Agriculture operations; Tea Garden operations in field
Intrastate and interstate movement of goods
E-Commerce; Capital and debt market services as notified by SEBI
Print, electronic media and asocial media
Home delivery of cooked food
Norms of physical distancing, wearing of marks, health and hygiene protocol must be strictly adhered to at all times.
For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in India, contact GAC India at india@gac.com
Reduced approach channel draft
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, New Mangalore, India
The maximum permissible draft for [New Mangalore] approach channel is reduced to 13.75 metres with 1 metre height of tide due to continuous siltation.
(For information about operations in India, contact GAC India at india@gac.com)
Source: New Mangalore Port Trust dated 22 July 2020
Canal dues suspended
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, Kiel Canal, Germany
The government has today confirmed that Kiel Canal dues will be suspended from 00:01am tomorrow, Thursday 23 July 23rd, until at least 31 December.
The suspension of traffic dues is a very important step in restoring the competitiveness of the Canal.
Hygiene and distance rules are taken very seriously at the Kiel Canal. There has not been a single COVID-19 case among its pilots, helmsmen and agents, making the Kiel Canal the safest and most cost-efficient shortcut into and out of the Baltic Sea.
(For information about operations in Germany, contact the GAC Dubai Hub Agency Centre at hub.ae@gac.com)
Source: Sartori & Berger Kiel Canal Operations – GAC agent
