MPA Singapore: Updated crew change requirements for cargo ships

by The Editorial Team

                

​July 12, 2021

 

 

Amid the evolving COVID-19 situation globally, MPA has enhanced its crew change requirements for cargo ships arriving at the port as of 9 July, in order to safeguard the wellbeing of seafarers and the population.

 

The requirements for signing-on and -off in Singapore are as follows:

 

Sign-on

 

(a) In general, the signing-on crew are required to serve 14-day Stay-Home-Notice (SHN) in the crew’s originating country/region in the period immediately prior to his/her departure flight/ferry to Singapore. The crew should be completely isolated in a room with a dedicated toilet with strictly no interaction with others (including family members) at his/her place of residence, or serve the SHN in a dedicated facility/hotel.

                   

(b) Crew from specific low-risk countries/regions will either not be required to serve the SHN or serve a shorter SHN of 7 days in his/her originating country/region prior to departure for Singapore.

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(c) The crew must have a negative result from a COVID-19 test (PCR type) taken at a government-approved or ISO 15189- accredited testing facility at his/her originating country not more than 48 hours prior to departure for Singapore.

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(d) The crew must be certified fit-to-travel and have a negative result from an ART (Antigen Rapid Test) certified by a doctor at his/her originating country not more than 24 hours prior to departure for Singapore. If tested positive, the crew shall not take further ARTs to obtain a negative result. Instead, the crew should take another PCR test to confirm if he/she is infected with COVID-19.

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(e) During the entire crew change process, including during the journey to Singapore, the crew should not be in a group of more than five persons, and must remain in the same group. There must be no interactions between groups.

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(f) The crew should only join his/her ship not more than two days before the date of the ship’s final departure from Singapore. For ships departing for sea trial and returning to Singapore, the date of departure for sea trial will not be considered the date of the ship’s final departure.

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(g) Crew shall only join the ship in Singapore after all high-risk2 shore-based personnel have completed their work onboard and disembarked the ship.

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(h) Meet-and-greet services must be arranged for sign-on crew arriving at Changi Airport, to escort the crew from the moment they disembark the plane to the point where they are handed over to the agent for the direct transfer to the ship or designated holding facility.

 

(i) Crew who have recovered from COVID-19 must submit documentary proof of his/her past diagnosis of COVID-19 based on the earliest positive PCR test result. If the date of the positive PCR test result is 21 days or fewer before the date of arrival in Singapore, he/she will not be approved for crew change. If the date of positive PCR test result is more than 21 days before the date of arrival in Singapore, he/she shall comply with the above sign-on requirements.

 

Sign-off

 

(a) The crew must not have gone ashore in the last 21 days before disembarking the ship, must have remained well and not had contact with any known or suspected case of COVID-19 throughout that period.

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(b) The crew must refrain from interacting with shore-based personnel at previous ports of call in the last 21 days.

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(c) The crew must be certified fit-to-travel by a doctor in Singapore not more than 24 hours before disembarking the ship. Telemedicine can be used to obtain a fit-to-travel assessment and certification. MPA will accept fit-to travel certificates issued by Singapore Medical Council-fully registered doctors.

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(d) During the entire crew change process, the crew should not be in a group of more than five persons, and must remain in the same group. There must be no interactions between groups.

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(e) Crew subjected to serology test shall remain onboard until production of a negative COVID-19 serology test result.

 

Designated crew change holding facilities in Singapore

Sign-on crew and sign-off crew may stay at the designated holding facilities in Singapore for up to 24 hours