Updated COVID-19 guidelines for crew changes

11 Jan 2021 / Philippines

The Philippines Department of Transportation has added Austria to the list of countries from which the disembarkation of foreign seafarers is restricted due to the relative to the SARS-COV-2 South African Variant.

Ships coming from or having rendered port of call/s from the below listed countries within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, are temporarily restricted from disembarking their foreign seafarers until 15 January 2021:
Austria
Australia
Brazil
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Lebanon
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

Further additional countries can be included in the above list as may be directed by the Office of the President.

However, foreign passengers coming from, or who have been to Austria within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, arriving before January 10, 2021, 12:01AM, Manila time, shall be allowed to enter the Philippines. They shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period, even if they obtain a negative RT-PCR test result.

Filipino and foreign seafarers with no immigration admission in any of the countries listed within the last 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines shall be allowed to disembark subject to existing health and safety protocols of the established One-Shop Shops (OSS) for Seafarers.

Filipino seafarers coming from the listed countries, or who have been to the same within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines, shall not be prohibited from disembarking their ships, but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result.

Permitted seafarers are only allowed to disembark in Port of Manila and shall be transported by their shipping agents to the designated quarantine facility via P2P under strict monitoring of the Philippine Coast Guard. Filipino seafarers shall undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine in OWWA-assigned facilities or at Athlete’s Village in New Clark City with accommodation shouldered by the Philippine government.

Embarkation to ships bound to the listed countries shall be subject to the existing exit protocols of the Philippines as well as entry protocols of the respective countries.

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

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