Since early February, Port Authority NSW has required mandatory health reporting by all ships arriving at NSW ports. This is a sensible approach to help protect their crucial and limited maritime workforce.
But there is no protocol on what to do if a ship reports a sick crew member.
In the eight weeks since this requirement was introduced one would...
Since March, Shipping Australia has been asking maritime authorities to develop protocols that will support crew members and allow ships to be worked when there is Covid-19 among the crew.
Now Maritime Safety Queensland, supported by Queensland health, has put plans into action and demonstrated best practice in helping ill seafarers and protecting public health...
Cases of seafarers being denied medical care for conditions unrelated to COVID-19 have been reported to the International Chamber of Shipping.
The body, which describes the news as “alarming”, has observed that there are cases of seafarers being refused entry to port or, in some cases, being denied evacuation for over four days.
“This is simply not acceptable,” said Guy Platten, Secretary General of the ICS.
In a recent webinar, held on May 28 by the World...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/seafarers-denied-medical-care-for-serious-conditions-ics-warns/
The Al Kuwait livestock carrier (IMO:9590931) which arrived in Fremantle with crew suffering from COVID-19 has been subject to some loud and alarmist commentary from people who should know better.
From the information publicly available it seems that the crew and the officials acted correctly, with proper notifications being made in a timely manner to the appropriate authorities.
When it was understood that there were people aboard with a potentially serious medical...