Requirements for shore-based personnel boarding vessels

15 Jan 2021 / Singapore

From 15 January 2021, any shore-based personnel who is going on board a vessel must produce proof that they have a valid negative result from a COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken as part of the rostered routine testing (RRT) programme within the last 7 days before boarding the vessel.

Shore-based personnel who are not on a RRT programme will be required to show a valid negative test result from a COVID-19 PCR test or Antigen Rapid Test (ART) within 72 hours prior to boarding the vessel. The COVID-19 PCR test or ART may be done at any of the MOH-approved COVID-19 test providers (https://www.moh.gov.sg/licensing-and-regulation/regulations-guidelines-andcirculars/details/list-of-covid-19-swab-providers). After disembarking, these shorebased personnel must take a PCR test between the 5th and 7th day, and a final PCR test on the 11th day. The costs of these tests for shore-based personnel who are not on a RRT programme would be at the shore-based personnel’s own or their employers’ expense.

As advised in the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Port Marine Circular No.04 of 2021 dated 14 January 2021, proof of the tests may be on paper or by electronic means (e.g. HealthHub SG app, SGWorkPass app etc.) which must show the date/time of the test and the test result.

All owners, occupiers and managers of any waterfront facility must ensure that any shore-based personnel going on board a vessel in the port, produce proof of the requisite test before allowing the shore-based personnel to go on board. No shore-based personnel who has any specified symptom (coughing, sneezing, breathlessness, a runny nose, loss of sense of smell or anosmia) or is otherwise physically unwell may go on board the vessel.

The owner, agent and master of the vessel which the shore-based personnel is boarding, must check and not allow the shore-based personnel to board if they do not have the requisite test result or if they have any specified symptom or are otherwise physically unwell.

All shore-based personnel must check-in and check-out with SafeEntry@Sea at the departure points or the waterfront facilities, as appropriate. These departure points are the gazette public landing steps (i.e. Marina South Pier and West Coast Pier), cargo, oil or cruise terminals, wharves, marinas and shipyards. Owners, occupiers and managers of departure points or waterfront must ensure that all shore-based personnel comply with the SafeEntry@Sea requirements.

The owner, agent or master of a vessel in port must maintain full and complete records, for the purposes of contact tracing, of all shore-based personnel embarking and disembarking the vessel. The records must contain: (a) date and time of embarkation and disembarkation, (b) person’s name in full, passport/NRIC/FIN number, (c) person’s mobile number(s), and (d) enterprise’s or company’s name in full.

Shore-based personnel who have carried out a job on board an ocean-going vessel in the port of Singapore must not, in the next 7 days, go on board a harbour craft or pleasure craft, to carry out a job.

Enterprises which deploy their shore-based personnel to go on board vessels in the port to carry out a job must ensure that the personnel wears an appropriate level of personal protection equipment, and that the personnel does not (a) remain on board for longer than necessary and does not, in any case, stay on board overnight, (b) consume any food or drink from the ship’s stores and (c) convene or take part in any gathering while on board.

When the shore-based personnel are on board, physical interaction between the shore-based personnel and members of the crew must be minimised.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Singapore, contact GAC Singapore at [email protected]

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