Updated COVID-19 protocols

02 Aug 2021 / Western Australia, Australia

The Western Australian (WA) government has updated the protocols for vessels arriving at its ports, effective immediately, with tougher requirements for crew testing and vaccination increasing the risk of vessels being turned away.

The major changes are:

  • No crew changes at a higher risk location;
  • No onshore crew visits at higher risk locations involving the disembarkation and re-embarkation of crew at the location;
  • Maritime workers boarding the vessel at the higher risk location must wear appropriate PPE;
  • PCR COVID-19 testing of any maritime workers boarding the vessel at the higher risk location will need to return a negative result;
  • Second daily rapid antigen COVID-19 testing to be conducted of the entire crew from the time of arrival at higher risk locations until just before entry into WA waters. Evidence of negative tests could be made a pre-condition of entering WA waters;
  • All crew members disembarking in WA from a higher risk location must be vaccinated;
  • A declaration of adherence to the measures outlined above by the vessel Captain prior to entering WA waters.

There is currently no official advice of what the high risk countries are, nor is there clarification on what happens if crew join a vessel in a low risk country but have come from a high risk country.

Updates will be provided as they become available.

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

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.

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