The Japan Oceangoing Passenger Ship Association issued the COVID-19 Prevention Guidelines for Operators of Oceangoing Passenger Ships (in Japan), providing guidelines for passengers, crew members as well as tips for good hygiene management.
As the COVID-19 pandemic affected the shipping industry, many have been the Associations launching guidance on how to deal when onboard a vessel.
In this case, the UK Club published the guide issued by the Japan Oceangoing Passenger Ship Association. Specifically, according to the guide all cruise ship companies are required to prepare a manual based on these guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19 infections. It is stated that these manuals must then be examined and approved by the Japan Oceangoing Passenger Ship Association.
Guidelines for passengers
According to the guidance
- Passengers must be made aware of the need for checking for fevers, wearing masks, using disinfectants and taking other actions that are widely used at restaurants, hotels, public facilities and other locations.
- Passengers should be urged to use the New Coronavirus Contact Confirmation App from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare or some other health management app. Passengers who experience a health problem after boarding a cruise ship must stay in their rooms until they can receive a medical examination.
- There are also measures that must be used for preventing the spread of COVID-19 infections during this examination.
Guidelines for crew members
- Crew members are required to receive thorough training and perform drills based on hygiene management regulations.
- Crew members are also required to keep a record of their temperatures for 14 days prior to boarding the ship.
- Crew members must be told that a 14-day quarantine is required after boarding the ship unless an individual tests negative by using a PCR test shortly before or after boarding the ship.
Hygiene management
- Hygiene management regulations must include items for the rigorous implementation of measures to prevent COVID-19 infections.
- These items, which are instructions for specific actions, include the number and types of protective apparel, an emergency communication system for use when there is a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection, disinfecting and closing facilities on the ship, making passengers aware of these regulations, on-board zoning, and notifying public health care centers.
Under the possibility of an infection, either concerning a crew or a passenger, it is advises that the individual(s) with symptoms and all others who had close contact with these people must self-quarantine. Furthermore, all other passengers must stay in their rooms and on-board events and facilities are closed.
If a COVID-19 infection is confirmed, more actions to identify people who had close contact with the infected individual(s) must be taken and, as needed, people with close contact and others must be tested. In addition, whether the ship is at a port in Japan or under way between two ports in Japan, in accordance with the procedure for responding to a designated outbreak, government agencies involved with handling COVID-19 outbreaks must be notified.
At the same time, a request for an on-shore quarantine must be submitted to the public health care center with jurisdiction over this outbreak.
Concluding, the guide notes that if the ship is under way, it must immediately change course for the nearest port where passengers can disembark.