Information by the Skuld P&I Club
The Skuld P&I Club has issued an advisory referring to measures when calling at French ports due to Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The general instruction appears to be that any vessel arriving from any port in West andCentral Africa are now compelled to submit 48 hours prior arrival via their Agent aMARITIME DECLARATION OF HEALTH form ,along with the usual port documents, to be duly processed by the Port Authorities beforethey can obtain clearance to berth.
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Among the various questions asked in this MDH, vessel will be asked to : – Declare if she called in an area listed as “infected” by WHO – List all ports called within the last 30 days – Advise if there were any suspect illness/death among the crew / passengers during the lastvoyage – Advise if there are still any ill crew/passenger onboard – Advise if there are any stowaways onboard and, if so, where they presumably boarded |
Meanwhile, Harbor Masters around France have also issued their ownrecommendations/instructions to local Agents in addition, and, while most requirementsare the same around the country (following the a.m. ministerial circular), some slightchanges may be noted from port to port.
Last, in case any red flag is raised in the MDH, the Harbor Master must then report to thelocal Prefecture, and the case is immediately transferred to the ARS (Regional HealthAuthority) who will handle the quarantine of the ship and disembarking/hospitalization ofthe sick patient in coordination with the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities(coast guards, navy, police etc)
Further information about measures taken in French ports may be found by reading Skuld’s Advisory
Also read SAFETY4SEA article on what impact Ebola has on the shipping industry and view IMO’s Infographic with guidance on travelling to and from Ebola-affected countries
