Maritime New Zealand issued its update concerning the vaccination, saliva tests for quarantine workers, crew change operations and information guidance for workers aboard international ships.
Vaccination
The vaccination plans are continuing, following the announcement that the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine will soon arrive in New Zealand.
Maritime NZ notes that
We are hoping to announce next week detail around how the roll out will take place to ensure border and MIQ workers and their close contacts, are offered the vaccine early in the roll out.
They remind that they may soon ask workers to provide contact details for family/household contacts so they can also receive the vaccine. They aim to have some information that you can share with your household contacts soon so they can understand more about what to expect and when they can make an appointment.
Keep in mind that although taking the vaccine is not mandatory, the government strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated. The vaccine is another layer of protection for you and your family/household contacts from COVID-19, but it is the most important protection measure available to date.
Saliva testing for quarantine workers
Due to the increased infection rates overseas and the emergence of new COVID-19 variants first identified in the UK, South Africa and Brazil, voluntary daily saliva tests will be offered to workers in quarantine and dual-use MIQ facilities.
In addition, saliva testing will be offered in addition to the weekly nasopharyngeal swab testing already in place for these workers. Offering saliva testing during each shift will increase the frequency of screening of border workers who are at the greatest risk of exposure to these new variants, so we can identify any positive cases as early as possible.
Crew change update
Concerning crew change, Maritime NZ informs that they are continuing and over January, 145 individual crew, replacement crew and outgoing crew, have been processed through the system.
Concluding, you may learn more on the updates by clicking herebelow
