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26 Oct 2020 / Queensland, Australia

New protocol for maritime crew

The Protocol for maritime crew has been updated, [effective] from 12:01 24 October 2020. A summary of the major changes are as follows:

  • The Protocol now only applies to commercial, government and research vessels 50m and over in length, (but does not include ADF or ABF vessels, superyachts, rec boats, cruise vessels).
  • On-signing maritime crew who goes into a quarantine hotel, must be tested for COVID-19 and receive a negative test conducted by Queensland Health before joining the vessel.
  • Time at sea is no longer counted towards quarantine time for vessels arriving from overseas.
  • Crew changeover requirements are captured for Queensland intrastate and interstate voyages. Certain quarantine triggers continue to apply.
  • Queensland residents who travel to COVID-19 hotspots to work as maritime crew must comply with Border Restriction Directions upon return to Queensland.
  • Clarification that a maritime crew member who arrives in another State or Territory from overseas, prior to entering Qld to join a vessel, must quarantine for 14 days at point of entry in that jurisdiction unless all approvals obtained (Qld CHO, other jurisdiction and airline/transport company). Equally, maritime crew who arrive in Queensland from overseas before transiting to another jurisdiction, must quarantine for 14 days in Queensland.
  • PPE during transit is mandatory and anyone found to not be observing the requirement may be directed to quarantine in a government hotel for 14 days prior to joining the vessel as they will be deemed to be operating outside of the protocol.
  • Supernumaries are now included as maritime crew, and Protocol requirements apply.

Under the updated Protocol for Maritime Crew, if a maritime crew member is required to quarantine in government nominated accommodation, for any duration, prior to joining a vessel they must:
- be tested for COVID-19 in Queensland;
and
- receive a negative test result for COVID-19 from Queensland Health

A maritime crew member will not be permitted to leave quarantine to join a vessel in Queensland until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result from a test completed in Queensland.

All testing for COVID-19 will be conducted by Queensland Health.

(For information about operations in Australia, contact GAC Australia at [email protected])

Source: Extract from Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) update No.126

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.

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