Worldwide

Quarantine programme to combat Omicron

MARPRO Send an email December 21, 2021
1,153 3 minutes read
Quarantine

 

Shipowners, seafarers’ unions and maritime employer groups are establishing their own approved international network of quarantine facilities to ensure seafarers can safely join ships, despite unpredictable changes to government border policies.

The move comes as the Omicron variant spurs governments to close their borders to seafarers needing to leave and join ships.

The Crew Enhanced Quarantine International Programme (#CrewEQUIP) is a partnership between the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC); the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS); and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). Collectively, the organisations represent more than 80 percent of the global merchant fleet and nearly-one million international seafarers through almost 200 affiliated unions.

#CrewEQUIP will create a list of trusted hotels available for crew quarantines that are independently reviewed. The programme is designed to overcome frequent changes in government border policies affecting international crew by having the highest standards and industry-best protocols in place, ensuring the scheme will continue to safely get crew to vessels even if governments increase their quarantine requirements.

The groups said the programme is urgently needed to avoid the shipping industry returning to the worst extremes of the crew change crisis, which saw 400,000 seafarers trapped working aboard vessels beyond their initial contracts in late 2020, with an equivalent number unable to join vessels and earn income.

While a global, permanent system with digital vaccine and testing recognition is still urgently needed, the groups said #CrewEQUIP would be important to have in place in the meantime to support greater levels of crew change. The groups welcomed the announcement this week of a new joint WHO-ILO-industry action group to advance digital ‘yellow cards’ for seafarers and other workers who need to cross borders for their jobs.

Under the #CrewEQUIP scheme, shipping companies and their representatives such as crewing agents and vessel managers are able to sponsor pre-embarkation quarantine facilities for seafarers to be considered for recognition. Facilities must meet #CrewEQUIP’s stringent standards for hygiene, testing integrity and data security.

A facility must also pass inspections by Lloyd’s Register, the programme’s recognised external auditor, to become and remain recognised #CrewEQUIP providers.

From Thursday 16 December, shipowners, shipping companies and their representatives will be able to access the online booking portal to nominate pre-embarkation quarantine facilities at crewequip.org.

Guy Platten, Secretary General, International Chamber of Shipping, said: “ICS is delighted to work in partnership with IMEC and ITF on this essential programme.” #CrewEquip will make the quarantine process smoother for both seafarers and shipowners and ensure high standards are upheld.”

“However, world leaders need to urgently provide a long-term solution to ensure that seafarers are no longer unduly impacted by ever-changing travel and quarantine restrictions. The reinstatement of harsh travel rules by governments as a knee-jerk response to the Omicron variant is of great concern. Coordinated action must be taken by world leaders to exempt transport workers from travel restrictions and prioritise them for vaccinations and boosters. We do not want to see a return to the peak of the crew change crisis.”

Chairman of International Maritime Employers Council (IMEC), Captain Belal Ahmed, said: “IMEC is very pleased to partner with the ICS and ITF to create this much-needed, high quality quarantine facility programme.”

“Seafarers have been, and continue to be, severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.  Whilst the world has repeatedly gone into lockdown, seafarers have worked tirelessly to keep international trade continuously moving and ultimately to ensure that the world’s population are kept nourished and warm. Yet, despite the important work seafarers undertake, many governments have made the movement of these key workers on and off ships far from easy.”

“This new quarantine facility programme will give industry more confidence to support the movement of  more seafarers more regularly around the world safe in the knowledge that there is a considerably less risk of Covid-19 being introduced to a vessel if a seafarer has joined via a CrewEquip-approved facility, where the highest standards will prevail.”

Chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Section, David Heindel, welcomed the #CrewEQUIP partnership by saying, “A successful crew change needs everything to line up across the port States, transit countries, and the right facilities available in place in the home country of seafarers involved. Currently, even seemingly minor alterations to a government’s border, health or quarantine policies can bring a planned crew change to a halt – often leaving a seafarer  with no option but to continue working onboard beyond their initial contracts. Too many seafarers will miss Christmas and other important events in the coming weeks.”

“Thorough programs like CrewEQUIP, unions and industry are providing a robust system that reduces at least one of the factors that risk successful crew changes. It’s an important initiative and we encourage all responsible shipowners and employers to get behind.”

This article is shared by courtesy of ICS – Shipping. ICS is the global trade association for shipowners and operators, representing the world’s national shipowner associations and over 80 % of the world merchant fleet.

MARPRO Send an email December 21, 2021
1,153 3 minutes read
Photo of MARPRO

MARPRO

949 Comments

  1. Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?

  706. Играйте РїРѕ СЃРІРѕРёРј правилам РЅР° автомате.: balloon game – balloon казино демо

  707. Игровые автоматы Ballon ждут СЃРІРѕРёС… героев.: balloon игра – balloon game

  711. Азартные РёРіСЂС‹ РїСЂРёРЅРѕСЃСЏС‚ радость Рё азарт.: balloon игра – balloon казино

  718. Каждый СЃРїРёРЅ может стать выигрышным!: balloon казино – balloon казино играть

  724. Игровые автоматы Ballon ждут СЃРІРѕРёС… героев.: balloon казино – balloon казино играть

  725. balloon игра на деньги balloon казино Выигрывайте большие СЃСѓРјРјС‹ РЅР° автоматах!

  730. Играйте РІ Ballon Рё наслаждайтесь процессом.: balloon game – balloon казино

  732. balloon игра на деньги balloon game Динамичная РёРіСЂР° РЅР° автомате Ballon ждет вас.

  847. Agb Mexico Pharm [url=https://agbmexicopharm.shop/#]Agb Mexico Pharm[/url] Agb Mexico Pharm

  850. www india pharm [url=https://wwwindiapharm.shop/#]buy medicines online in india[/url] www india pharm

  853. www india pharm [url=https://wwwindiapharm.shop/#]www india pharm[/url] www india pharm

  855. canada ed drugs [url=http://gocanadapharm.com/#]best canadian pharmacy to buy from[/url] canadian pharmacy india

  859. www india pharm [url=https://wwwindiapharm.com/#]www india pharm[/url] www india pharm

  864. prinivil cost [url=https://lisinexpress.shop/#]Lisin Express[/url] Lisin Express

  867. lisinopril 20 25 mg [url=http://lisinexpress.com/#]Lisin Express[/url] Lisin Express

  872. lisinopril 10 mg tablet cost [url=http://lisinexpress.com/#]prinivil 20 mg tablet[/url] lisinopril 20mg for sale

  875. AmOnlinePharm [url=https://amonlinepharm.shop/#]AmOnlinePharm[/url] AmOnlinePharm

  878. deneme bonusu veren siteler [url=http://casinositeleri1st.com/#]slot casino siteleri[/url] guvenilir casino siteleri casinositeleri1st.shop

  880. slot casino siteleri [url=https://casinositeleri1st.shop/#]casino siteleri[/url] deneme bonusu veren siteler casinositeleri1st.shop

  883. sweet bonanza siteleri [url=http://sweetbonanza1st.com/#]sweet bonanza slot[/url] sweet bonanza oyna sweetbonanza1st.com

  886. guvenilir casino siteleri [url=https://casinositeleri1st.shop/#]casino siteleri 2025[/url] deneme bonusu veren siteler casinositeleri1st.shop

  889. casino siteleri 2025 [url=https://casinositeleri1st.shop/#]lisansl? casino siteleri[/url] casino siteleri casinositeleri1st.shop

  891. sweet bonanza oyna [url=https://sweetbonanza1st.shop/#]sweet bonanza siteleri[/url] sweet bonanza oyna sweetbonanza1st.com

  895. Mexican pharmacy ship to USA [url=https://usmexpharm.com/#]UsMex Pharm[/url] certified Mexican pharmacy

  898. mexican pharmacy [url=https://usmexpharm.com/#]certified Mexican pharmacy[/url] best online pharmacies in mexico

  899. Us Mex Pharm [url=https://usmexpharm.com/#]usa mexico pharmacy[/url] certified Mexican pharmacy

  909. india online pharmacy [url=http://usaindiapharm.com/#]UsaIndiaPharm[/url] UsaIndiaPharm

  913. USA India Pharm [url=https://usaindiapharm.com/#]UsaIndiaPharm[/url] Online medicine order

  918. indian pharmacy [url=http://usaindiapharm.com/#]UsaIndiaPharm[/url] online shopping pharmacy india

  919. indian pharmacy paypal [url=https://usaindiapharm.com/#]top online pharmacy india[/url] UsaIndiaPharm

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button