China:Seafarers sailed for over 14 days and in good health may enter and disembark

China will take classified, precise control measures to strengthen COVID-19 prevention efforts as 10,000 Chinese seafarers on international navigation ships are set to disembark due to expired labor contracts by May, a senior official of the Ministry of Transport said on Monday.
 
According to customs data, about 500 international ships will arrive in China daily, with the number of crew members on board reaching more than 7,000.
 
"We will take classified, precise control measures to strengthen epidemic prevention during the crew shift period," Yang Xinzhai, deputy director of the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, told a press conference on Monday.
 
The intensified efforts come as imported COVID-19 cases are rising in recent days in China, while the domestic virus situation has abated amid China's all-out efforts to contain the outbreak.
 
According to Yang, seafarers proving to be in normal health on board and according to the quarantine department of customs will be allowed to disembark and enter the country, but those who failed to stay on board for 14 days after leaving the previous port, will be asked to undergo a quarantine for 14 days in accordance with the epidemic prevention and control requirements of the local authorities.
 
"For foreign seafarers, we are mulling this policy - for those with a history of staying in a severely infected country within 14 days, we will not arrange shift entry at Chinese ports," Yang said.
 
The shipping industry is a pillar of China's economic development, as about 90 percent of China's foreign trade is conducted by water transport. The shipping industry is of great significance in maintaining the normal operation of the economy, ensuring public demand, and preserving the safety of the international supply chain.
 
On March 18, the International Maritime Organization adopted an epidemic prevention guideline drawn up by Chinese authorities, and issued it to all member states, intergovernmental international organizations, and non-governmental international organizations to guide the global shipping industry's epidemic prevention and control work.
 
The guideline requires shipping companies to add regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control to their safety management and make quarantine plans in advance as well as to provide ships with the necessary epidemic prevention supplies.
 
Source:Global Times

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