File photo: Filipino seafarers of CF Sharp (cfsharpcrew.com/filipino-seafarers-are-world-class/)

Quarantine requirements have been lifted for Filipino and foreign seafarers disembarking at seaports or at seas within the Philippines, as long as they have been vaccinated with at least three doses of Covid-19 jabs, and tested negative for the virus.
 

Bureau of Quarantine Director Ferdinand Salcedo's Memorandum Circular no. 2022-07, dated June 6, informed all manning, recruitment agencies and shipping agencies of cargo vessels, quarantine medical officers, and quarantine nurses, outlining the guidelines for arriving seafarers at seaports in the country for a crew change on the easing of the rules.
 

One of the guidelines says that seafarers undergoing crew change in the middle of the sea in the Philippines will be required to show an acceptable proof of vaccination and a negative test, either RT-PCR or antigen.
 

The RT-PCR test should be done upon arrival at their designated quarantine facility by the DOH-approved laboratory.
 

The antigen test should be supervised by the Quarantine Medical Officer on duty at the designated area of One-Stop-Shop for crew change.
 

Foreign seafarers, meanwhile, should also be checked by the BOQ's Quarantine Boarding Officer at sea and be issued Quarantine Medical Clearance.
 

There should also be “profiling” to be done before disembarkation. The profiling is only valid for 24 hours.
 

Since the pandemic, the Philippine government has opened its seas in 12 seaports where foreign ships can change Filipino as well as foreign crew members. The 12 crew-change hubs are Port of Manila, Currimao (Ilocos Norte), Poro Point (La Union), Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Bataan, Batangas, Palawan, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, Port of Zamboanga, and Port of Cagayan de Oro.
 

The health protocol for the entry of crew change as well as for foreign nationals on board vessels joining military exercises with Philippine military in the Philippines were stated in a resolution by the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Emerging Diseases No. 164-B.
 

Meanwhile, quarantine will still be required for seafarers who were not vaccinated, partially vaccinated or fully vaccinated but without boosters in a DOH-approved facility.

If they test positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in the Philippines, they will be required to undergo mandatory quarantine. Their manning agencies or shipping companies should provide the BOQ with proof of reservation in a DOH-approved stringent quarantine facility.
 

For fully vaccinated seafarers who test positive for Covid-19, the quarantine period is seven days. However, if they manifest Covid-19 symptoms starting on the fifth day, their quarantine period shall be extended.
 

Seafarers who were not vaccinated will be quarantined for 10 days. If they manifest Covid-19 symptoms starting on the 8th day of quarantine, their stay shall also be extended.

If a ship or vessel has at least one documented positive of Covid-19, all crew members will be required to undergo five-day quarantine in an “accredited stringent facility” and undergo RT-PCR testing on the fifth day of quarantine.
 

A vessel with a reported infection “is required to undergo disinfection under the supervision of the Bureau of Quarantine personnel,” the memo reads.
 

Association Licensed Manning Agencies (ALMA) president Cristina Garcia welcomed the new BOQ guidelines but called it overdue. “We are thankful that the BOQ aligned with the IATF resolution 168-B,” Garcia said.

Source: Business Mirror

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